Hearing that you have a brain tumor can be overwhelming, to say the very least. This is an extremely scary diagnosis, with scary prognosis in many cases. One of the first things that you may wonder is the causes of brain tumors and the cause of yours specifically. Often, finding a cause is part of finding the cure.
Two Types of Brain Tumors
While there are many different types of brain tumors, when you are looking for the cause of a brain tumor, there are only two types. There are those brain tumors that begin in the brain, and there are those that are occur only after cancer has started somewhere else in the body, and has spread to the brain, creating a tumor.
Knowing the difference is essential to determining what has caused the brain tumor, because the causes are significantly different for each type. With this information, the causes can be narrowed down a great deal, making it possible to better treat the tumor.
Brain Tumors that Begin in the Brain
Brain tumors that begin in the brain are referred to as primary brain tumors. These initially occur in the brain, on the brain, or very near the brain. Tumors start to form in most cases when there are mutations or errors in the cells in your DNA. This doesn’t mean that you were ‘destined’ to have a brain tumor. A primary brain tumor is not common.
A primary brain tumor has a ‘type.’ This type is determined by the cells that are actually involved in the formation of the tumor. The tumor could be termed Acoustic Neuroma, Astrocytoma, Ependymoma, Ependymoblastoma, Germ Cell Tumor, Medulloblastoma, Meningioma, Neuroblastoma, Oligodendroglioma, or Pineoblastoma.
Brain Tumors that Do Not Begin in the Brain
When the brain tumor forms due to cancer that occurred elsewhere in the body, it is termed as a secondary brain tumor. The tumor is said to be metastatic, and it metastasizes in the brain. These are the most common types of brain cancers.
This type of secondary brain tumor typically results from breast cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, or melanoma. Having one of these types of cancers, however, is no indication that you will also develop a brain tumor. Having one of these cancers simply increases your risk of developing one of these brain tumors. You should also note that successful treatment of the cancer is no indication that you are protected from getting a brain tumor. Talk to your doctor about your concerns about brain tumors for more information.
