Understanding Brain Tumors

When an individual is diagnosed with a brain tumor it is quite normal for them to feel afraid and even angry about it. One of the best steps to do is seek treatment and then learn as much as possible about brain tumors. The brain is responsible for many structures and their movement in the human body and many bodily functions. A brain tumor is any kind of abnormal growth or cells that is located in the brain or along the spinal cord that disturbs normal brain function. Tumors are based on the cells that the consists of and whether they are cancerous or not. While having a brain tumor removed may seem like a long recovery time, in some cases patients are up and back to normal very quickly depending on the location of the tumor, size of the

A brain tumor is defined as an abnormal growth of tissue that is in the central spine or brain and they have the ability to disturb the function of the brain. If tumors go untreated the may damage the surrounding normal tissue. These tumors are not the same for everyone because they form in different areas, have different cell make up, and are medically treated differently. A malignant tumor have cancer cells and grow out of control throughout the brain. Malignant tumors are life-threatening because of rapid growth and how they attack surrounding tissue. Usually malignant tumors do not spread to other regions of the body, they can spread through other brain and spinal tissue. According to Understanding Brain Tumors, malignant tumors accounted for 37% of new primary brain tumor diagnoses (Archie). Also, “A cancerous tumor of the mesothelium is called a malignant mesothelioma, although this is often shortened to just mesothelioma” (“What Is Malignant Mesothelioma”). This type of tumor can be classified into three main different types of on how the cancer cells is arranged. The types that malignant tumor is arranged by is epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and mixed which is also called,

Tumors the begin with glial cells that are found in the supportive tissue of the brain are Gliomas. The are different types of Gliomas that are classified by where the tumor is and where it began, Astrocytomas are tumors that begin in the supporting tissue cells called astrocytes. They are usually found in the cerebrum of the brain and the cause pressure which can cause the individual to have seizures and changes in their personality. These tumors are divided into low and high grade tumors. According to Understanding Brain Tumors, high grade (grade IV) are the most malignant type of all brain tumors, known as glioblastoma (Archie). Another type of Gliomas that start in supporting cells are Oligodendrogliomas and are usually found in the cerebral hemispheres. Oligodendrogliomas can cause weakness, headaches, sleepiness, and behavioral changes. They are known to respond to therapy and have a better prognosis than other types of gliomas with a grade of II or III.

Meningiomas, which is what my uncle Scott had are considered slow growing tumors and are usually benign. They form in the outer coverings of the brain called the meninges just under the skull. According to Understanding Brain Tumors, this type of tumor accounts for about one third of brain tumors in adults (Archie). Meningiomas