Causes For Brain Cancer

At the National Brain Tumor Society, we are committed to supporting the diverse needs of patients by moving research toward new treatments, fighting for policies that will improve the lives of all patients, and providing important and helpful information and resources. This section will help you learn more about brain tumors including symptoms, treatment options, and considerations for caregivers.

Brain cancer is a tumour or cancerous growth in the brain cancer. A tumour, whether in your brain or elsewhere, is a mass of cells that reproduce themselves in an uncontrolled way. Tumours can be either benign or malignant.                        

A tumor is a mass of tissue that's formed by an accumulation of abnormal cells. Normally, the cells in your body age, die, and are replaced by new cells. With cancer and other tumors, something disrupts this cycle. Tumor cells grow, even though the body does not need them, and unlike normal old cells, they don't die. As this process goes on, the tumor continues to grow as more and more cells are added to the mass.

Brain tumours can develop at any age, the risk of developing a brain tumour increases with age.However, some types of brain tumour are more common in younger adults. Children can also develop brain tumours.

There are over 140 different types of brain tumors that can form in the brain Cancer. Brain tumors can be classified as primary or metastatic, depending on where they arise in the body. Primary brain tumors originate in the brain and rarely spread outside of it. Metastatic tumors begin in another part of the body and spread to the brain cancer therapy through blood or lymphatic tissue. Some cancer types are more prone to spreading to the brain. These types include breast cancer, kidney cancer, melanoma, and lung cancer.

Brain Tumor Causes

We don't know exactly what causes brain tumors, but studies do suggest that there may be many factors that play a role in their development. Risk factors for brain tumors include:

• Exposure to radiation

• family history of certain genetic disorders like neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, Von Hippel-Lindau disease, and Li-Fraumeni syndrome

• Having a compromised immune system (more so associated with CNS lymphomas and people infected with AIDS)

• There are many unproven causes and risk factors that are being studies. Cell phone use and the consumption of aspartame are two very controversial topics that some believe may cause brain cancer. These are simply theories and still remain unproven despite the many studies that have been conducted on the subjects.