CNS-BRAIN TUMOR
general irritability, drowsiness or a
A. What is brain cancer?
Brain cancers include primary brain
tumours, which start in the brain and
almost never spread to other parts of the
body, and secondary tumours (or
metastases), which are caused by
cancers that began in another part of the
body.
There are more than 40 major types of
brain tumours, which are grouped into
two main types:
Benign - slow - growing and unlikely
to spread. Common types are
meningiomas, neuromas, pituitary
tumours and craniopharyngiomas.
Malignant - cancerous and able to
spread into other parts of the brain
or spinal cord. Common types
include astrocytomas,
oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas,
glioblastomas and mixed gliomas.
The risk of being diagnosed with a brain
cancer by age 85 is 1 in 110 for men and
1 in 154 for women.
B. Brain cancer symptoms
Headaches are often the first symptom
of a brain tumour. The headaches can be
mild, severe, persistent, or come and go.
Other symptoms include:
difficulty speaking or remembering
words
disturbed vision, hearing, smell or
taste
seizures: severe (eg. a convulsion)
or mild (as in a fleeting disturbance
of awareness, sensation or jerking
muscles)
weakness or paralysis in part of the
body
loss of balance
change in personality
nausea and vomiting.
C. Causes of brain cancer
The causes of brain tumours are not
known but some risk factors include:
some brain and spinal cord tumours
are more common in people with
certain inherited or genetic
conditions
people exposed to very high doses
of radiation to the head.
D. Screening for brain cancer
There is no routine screening test for
brain cancer.
E. Diagnosis for brain cancer
If a brain tumour is suspected, the
doctor may check how different parts of
the brain are functioning by checking the
patients reflexes, muscle strength,
ability to feel pin-pricks and to
distinguish between hot and cold. An
opthalmoscope is used to view the optic
nerve, which may bulge if the pressure in
the skull is raised, for example by a
tumour.
Diagnosis is usually by MRI and CT
scans.
Other tests that are sometimes used are:
Angiogram
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
PET scan
Single-Photon Emission CT Scan
Lumbar Puncture (also known as
spinal tap).
 Medical Oncologist diagnoses and
F. Treatment for brain cancer
treats cancer using chemotherapy
Staging Radiation Oncologist diagnoses
MRI and CT scans and other tests, if and treats cancer with
used, determine the extent of the radiotherapy
cancer (its stage). Other health professionals such as
Brain tumours are usually graded on dietician, social worker, speech
a scale of I to IV, based on how and occupational therapists.
quickly they are growing and their
ability to invade nearby tissue:
grades I and II are the slowest G. Prognosis for brain cancer
growing and are called low-grade An individual's prognosis depends on the
tumours; grade IV is the fastest type and stage of cancer, as well as their
growing. age and general health at the time of
diagnosis. For benign tumours that can
Types of treatment be completely removed, cure is likely.
Brain tumours may be treated with For malignant tumours, outcomes
surgery, radiotherapy, depend on how slowly or quickly the
chemotherapy or steroid therapy, or tumour develops and response to
a combination of these treatments. treatment.
Some tumours can be removed
completely by surgery (craniotomy).
Post-operative radiotherapy
improves local control and survival.
For glioblastomas, temozolomide
may be added during or after
radiotherapy to further improve
outcomes.
If a tumour cannot be removed, the
aim of treatment is to slow growth
and relieve symptoms by shrinking
the tumour and any swelling around
it. Treatment options include
radiotherapy with or without
temozolomide.

Treatment team
Neurologist diagnosis and treats
diseases of the brain and nervous
system
Neuro-Surgeon uses surgery to
treat brain diseases and injuries
Cancer Nurses