Brain Tumors

The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system (CNS). Brain and spinal cord tumors are growths of abnormal cells in tissues of the brain or spinal cord. Tumors that start in the brain are called primary brain tumors. A tumor that starts in another part of the body and spreads to the brain is called a metastatic brain tumor.

Brain and spinal cord tumors may be either benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

Both benign and malignant tumors cause signs and symptoms and need treatment. Benign brain and spinal cord tumors grow and press on nearby areas of the brain but rarely spread into other parts of the brain. Malignant brain and spinal cord tumors are likely to grow quickly and spread into other parts of the brain.

There are many types of brain and spinal cord tumors. They form in different cell types and different areas of the brain and spinal cord. The signs and symptoms of brain and spinal cord tumors depend on where the tumor forms, its size, how fast it is growing, and the age of the patient.

Brain and spinal cord tumors can occur in both adults and children. The types of tumors that form and the way they are treated are different in children and adults.

The prognosis (chance of recovery) depends on many factors, including age, tumor size, tumor type, and where the tumor is in the central nervous system.

People with a brain tumor may experience the following symptoms or signs. Sometimes, people with a brain tumor do not have any of these changes. Or, the cause of a symptom may be a different medical condition that is not a brain tumor.

Symptoms of a brain tumor can be general or specific. A general symptom is caused by the pressure of the tumor on the brain or spinal cord. Specific symptoms are caused when a specific part of the brain is not working well because of the tumor. For many people with a brain tumor, they were diagnosed when they went to the doctor after experiencing a problem, such as a headache or other changes.

General symptoms include:

• Headaches, which may be severe and worsen with activity or in the early morning

• Seizures. Motor seizures, also called convulsions, are sudden involuntary movements of a person’s muscles. People may experience different types of seizures, including myclonic and tonic-clonic (grand mal). Certain drugs can help prevent or control them. The differences between these types of seizures are listed below:

• Myclonic

• Single or multiple muscle twitches, jerks, spasms

• Tonic-Clonic (Grand Mal)

• Loss of consciousness and body tone, followed by twitching and relaxing muscles that are called contractions

• Loss of control of body functions

• May be a short 30-second period of no breathing and a person may turn a shade of blue

• After this type of seizure, a person may be sleepy and experience a headache, confusion, weakness, numbness, and sore muscles.

• Sensory

• Change in sensation, vision, smell, and/or hearing without losing consciousness

• Complex partial

• May cause a loss of awareness or a partial or total loss of consciousness

• May be associated with repetitive, unintentional movements, such as twitching

• Personality or memory changes

• Nausea or vomiting

• Fatigue

• Drowsiness

• Sleep problems

• Memory problems

• Changes in ability to walk or perform daily activities

Symptoms that may be specific to the location of the tumor include:

• Pressure or headache near the tumor

• Loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills is linked with a tumor in the cerebellum.

• Changes in judgment, including loss of initiative, sluggishness, and muscle weakness or paralysis is associated with a tumor in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum.

• Partial or complete loss of vision is caused by a tumor in the occipital lobe or temporal lobe of the cerebrum.

• Changes in speech, hearing, memory, or emotional state, such as aggressiveness and problems understanding or retrieving words can develop from a tumor in the frontal and temporal lobe of the cerebrum.

• Altered perception of touch or pressure, arm or leg weakness on 1 side of the body, or confusion with left and right sides of the body are linked to a tumor in the frontal or parietal lobe of the cerebrum.

• Inability to look upward can be caused by a pineal gland tumor.

• Lactation, which is the secretion of breast milk, and altered menstrual periods in women, and growth in hands and feet in adults are linked with a pituitary tumor.

• Difficulty swallowing, facial weakness or numbness, or double vision is a symptom of a tumor in the brain stem.

• Vision changes, including loss of part of the vision or double vision can be from a tumor in the temporal lobe, occipital lobe, or brain stem.

If you are concerned about any changes you experience, please talk with your doctor. Your doctor will ask how long and how often you’ve been experiencing the symptom(s), in addition to other questions.

Source: National Cancer Institute

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