Primary brain tumor
Key points
- A brain tumor is any growth of abnormal cells or uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the brain.
- Primary brain tumors include any tumor that originates in the brain.
- The cornerstone of treatment is surgical removal of the tumor.
- There is some controversy over the optimal approach to therapy for craniopharyngioma.
Alternative names
Glioblastoma multiforme; Ependymoma; Glioma; Astrocytoma; Brain tumor - primary; Medulloblastoma; Neuroglioma; Oligodendroglioma; Meningioma; Cancer - brain tumor (primary)
Definition
A brain tumor is any growth of abnormal cells or uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the brain. Primary brain tumors involve any such growth that originates in the brain, rather than spreading to the brain from another part of the body.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Primary brain tumors include any tumor that originates in the brain. Tumors may be localized to a small area, invasive (spread to nearby areas), benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Tumors can directly destroy brain cells. They can also indirectly damage cells by producing inflammation, compressing other parts of the brain as the tumor grows, inducing cerebral edema (brain swelling), and causing increased intracranial pressure (the pressure within the skull).
Classification of brain tumors depends on the exact site of the tumor, the type of tissue involved, benign or malignant tendencies of the tumor, and other factors. The cause of primary brain tumors is unknown. Some tumors (retinoblastoma, for example) tend to be hereditary. Others tumors (craniopharyngioma) are congenital (present from before birth).
Tumors may occur at any age, but many have a particular age group in which they are most common. The most common childhood brain tumors are astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, and brain stem glioma. Gliomas account for 75% of brain tumors among children but only 45% in adults. Other than retinoblastomas, most brain tumors are rare in the first year of life.
Childhood nervous system tumors may be classified as either infratentorial (located below the tentorium cerebelli), meaning they are in the posterior third of the brain, or as supratentorial meaning they are within the anterior two-thirds of the brain.
Central nervous system tumors account for about 20% of all childhood cancers. They are second in incidence only to leukemias. Half of brain tumors in children are infratentorial. The annual incidence in children less than 15 years old is about 3 per 100,000. More than 1,200 new cases occur each year.
Specific symptoms, treatment, and prognosis (probable outcome) vary according to the site and type of the tumor and the age and general health of the person.
SPECIFIC TUMOR TYPE INFORMATION
Cerebellar astrocytoma:
- Accounts for 10% to 30% of pediatric brain tumors (peak age is 5 to 8 years old)
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
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