Aynda Private Technical Institute

Department of Pharmacy
First Stage

Brain Cancer
Prepared by: Muhamad jalil Jamal
Supervised by: Dr. Zereen Meena

February 2024
 Content Pages
1) Introduction 1

2) Types 2

3) Symptoms 5

4) Brain tumor headaches 6

5) Causes 7

6) Risk factors 9

7) When to see a doctor 10

8) Brain Tumor Treatment 10

References: 11

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 1. Introduction

A brain tumor is a growth of cells in the brain or near it. Brain tumors can
happen in the brain tissue. Brain tumors also can happen near the brain tissue.
Nearby locations include nerves, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, and the
membranes that cover the surface of the brain.

Brain tumors can begin in the brain. These are called primary brain tumors.
Sometimes, cancer spreads to the brain from other parts of the body. These
tumors are secondary brain tumors, also called metastatic brain tumors.

Many different types of primary brain tumors exist. Some brain tumors aren't
cancerous. These are called noncancerous brain tumors or benign brain tumors.
Noncancerous brain tumors may grow over time and press on the brain tissue.
Other brain tumors are brain cancers, also called malignant brain tumors. Brain
cancers may grow quickly. The cancer cells can invade and destroy the brain
tissue.

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 Figure 1. shows brain tumor

2. Types

There are many types of brain tumors. The type of brain tumor is based on the
kind of cells that make up the tumor. Special lab tests on the tumor cells can
give information about the cells. Your health care team uses this information to
figure out the type of brain tumor.

Some types of brain tumors usually aren't cancerous. These are called
noncancerous brain tumors or benign brain tumors. Some types of brain tumors
usually are cancerous. These types are called brain cancers or malignant brain
tumors. Some brain tumor types can be benign or malignant.

Benign brain tumors tend to be slow-growing brain tumors. Malignant brain

tumors tend to be fast-growing brain tumors.

a) Glioblastoma is a type of cancer that starts in cells called astrocytes that

support nerve cells. It can form in the brain or spinal cord.
b) Medulloblastoma is a type of brain cancer that starts in the part of the
brain called the cerebellum. Medulloblastoma is the most common type of
cancerous brain tumor in children
c) Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma) is a benign tumor that
develops on the balance and hearing nerves leading from the inner ear to
the brain. These nerves are twined together to form the vestibulocochlear
nerve (eighth cranial nerve). The pressure on the nerve from the tumor
may cause hearing loss and imbalance.

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 Figure 2. shows Glioblastoma brain cancer

Figure 3. shows Medulloblastoma brain cancer

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 Figure 4. shows Acoustic neuroma brain cancer
3. Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of a brain

tumor depend on the brain
tumor's size and location.
Symptoms also might
depend on how fast the brain
tumor is growing, which is also
called the tumor grade.

General signs and symptoms

caused by brain tumors may
include:

 Seizures
 Dizziness
 Speech problems.
 Feeling very tired.
 Hearing problems.
 Memory problems.
 Nausea or vomiting.
 Trouble with balance. Figure 5. shows most common brain tumor symptoms
 Confusion in everyday matters.
 Headache or pressure in the head.
 Feeling very hungry and gaining weight.
 Losing feeling or movement in an arm or a leg.
 Eye problems, such as blurry vision, seeing double or losing sight.

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Brain tumors that aren't cancerous tend to cause symptoms that develop slowly.
Noncancerous brain tumors also are called benign brain tumors. They might
cause subtle symptoms that you don't notice at first. The symptoms might get
worse over months or years.

Cancerous brain tumors cause symptoms that get worse quickly. Cancerous
brain tumors also are called brain cancers or malignant brain tumors. They cause
symptoms that come on suddenly. They get worse in a matter of days or weeks.

4. Brain tumor headaches

Headaches are the most common symptom of brain tumors. Headaches happen
in about half of people with brain tumors. Headaches can happen if a growing
brain tumor presses on healthy cells around it. Or a brain tumor can cause
swelling in the brain that increases pressure in the head and leads to a headache.

Headache pain caused by brain tumors is often worse when you wake up in the
morning. But it can happen at any time. Some people have headaches that wake
them from sleep. Brain tumor headaches tend to cause pain that's worse when
coughing or straining. People with brain tumors most often report that the
headache feels like a tension headache. Some people say the headache feels like
a migraine.

Brain tumors in the back of the head might cause a headache with neck pain. If
the brain tumor happens in the front of the head, the headache might feel like
eye pain or sinus pain.

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 Figure 6. shows Brain lobes

5. Causes

a) Brain tumors that begin in the brain

Brain tumors that start as a growth of cells in the brain are called primary brain
tumors. They might start right in the brain or in the tissue nearby. Nearby tissue
might include the membranes that cover the brain, called meninges. Brain
tumors also can happen in nerves, the pituitary gland and the pineal gland.

Brain tumors happen when cells in or near the brain get changes in their DNA.
A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes tell
the cells to grow quickly and continue living when healthy cells would die as
part of their natural life cycle. This makes a lot of extra cells in the brain. The
cells can form a growth called a tumor.

It's not clear what causes the DNA changes that lead to brain tumors. For many
people with brain tumors, the cause is never known. Sometimes parents pass
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DNA changes to their children. The changes can increase the risk of having a
brain tumor. These hereditary brain tumors are rare. If you have a family history
of brain tumors, talk about it with your health care provider. You might consider
meeting with a health care provider trained in genetics to understand whether
your family history increases your risk of having a brain tumor.

When brain tumors happen in children, they're likely to be primary brain tumors.
In adults, brain tumors are more likely to be cancer that started somewhere else
and spread to the brain.

b) Radiation

Exposure to some forms of radiation can cause to brain cancer.

c) Cancer that spreads to the brain

Secondary brain tumors happen when cancer starts somewhere else and spreads
to the brain. When cancer spreads, it's called metastatic cancer.

Any cancer can spread to the brain, but common types include:

 Breast cancer.
 Colon cancer.
 Kidney cancer.
 Lung cancer.
 Melanoma.

It's not clear why some cancers spread to the brain and others are more likely to
spread to other places. Secondary brain tumors most often happen in people who
have a history of cancer. Rarely, a brain tumor may be the first sign of cancer
that began somewhere else in the body. In adults, secondary brain tumors are far
more common than are primary brain tumors.
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 Figure 7. shows brain metastases

6. Risk factors

In most people with primary brain tumors, the cause isn't clear. But doctors have
identified some factors that may raise the risk.

Risk factors include:

 Age. Brain tumors can happen at any age, but they happen most often in
older adults. Some brain tumors mostly effect adults. Some brain tumors
happen most often in children.
 Race. Anyone can get a brain tumor. But some types of brain tumors are
more common in people of certain races. For example, gliomas are more
common in white people. Meningiomas are more common in Black people.
 Exposure to radiation. People who have been exposed to a strong type of
radiation have an increased risk of brain tumor.
 Inherited syndromes that increase the risk of brain tumor. Some DNA
changes that increase the risk of brain tumor run in families.

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 7. When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your health care provider if you have persistent signs
and symptoms that worry you.

8. Brain Tumor Treatment

Brain tumor treatment options depend on the type of brain tumor you have, as
well as its size and location. Common treatments including;
a) Surgery
b) Radiation therapy

Figure 8. shows brain

Tumor

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References:

 Sandhya Pruthi, Nicholas D. Allen, and Nandan S. Anavekar, (2023), brain tumor,
online available at:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-tumor/symptoms-causes/syc-
20350084, Accessed at 1 Feb 2024.
 Health, (2024), What is a brain tumor? Online available at:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/brain-
tumor, Accessed at 25 Jan 2024.

Thank You for

Your Attention

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