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Any cancer diagnosis is frightening, but it is especially so when there is a tumor in the brain. While some types of brain cancer are less aggressive than others, they all have the potential to disrupt a person's thoughts, memories, senses, personality, language abilities, and body control.
Incidence; Causes & Development
In 2004, roughly 35,000 Americans were being diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, and another 150,000 patients with brain tumors that have spread from other parts of the body. Improvements in diagnosis led to a sudden jump in reports of brain cancer in the mid-1980s, but the numbers have since leveled off. Brain cancer can arise at any age, but most patients are either younger than 12 or older than 40.
Like any cancer, brain cancer gets its start when cells start dividing abnormally and uncontrollably, forming growths known as tumors. But not all tumors are cancerous: some are benign. Still, benign tumors in the brain or spinal cord can pose a threat to health if they grow large enough to compress vital tissue. Cancerous tumors in the brain typically don't spread to distant areas of the body, but they can invade other areas of the brain and the spinal cord.
Some 80% of malignant tumors in the brain don't originate there. Instead, they are metastases of other primary cancers that have spread to the brain from elsewhere in the body. The cells in these tumors, known as secondary brain tumors, resemble cells from the original cancers -- not brain cells.
Primary Brain Tumors
These are tumors that originate in brain tissue. Doctors classify primary brain tumors according to the cells of the brain from which they arise, the appearance of individual cancer cells under the microscope, their location in the brain, or a combination of these factors. Most brain cancers are called gliomas, which means they arise in the tissue in the brain known as glial tissue. Examples include astrocytomas, which start in brain cells called astrocytes, and glioblastomas, which are particularly aggressive forms of astrocytomas.
More important than the name of the tumor is its 'grade', or aggressiveness.- Grade 1 tumors tend to grow slowly and rarely spread, giving patients an excellent chance at long-term survival.
- Grade 2 tumors also grow relatively slowly, but they can creep into nearby normal brain tissue. These tumors can come back if removed, sometimes as a higher-grade tumor.
- Grade 3 tumors are much like grade 2, but they grow slightly more quickly and are more likely to recur.
- Grade 4 tumors are the most dangerous: the cancer cells reproduce rapidly and, if left unchecked, will quickly invade other parts of the brain or spinal cord. Very rarely, grade 4 tumors can spread beyond the nervous system to other parts of the body.
It is not yet completely understood why brain cells turn cancerous, but some factors can make the disease more likely. Research is being carried out to see if certain viruses trigger the disease. The disease rarely strikes more than one member of a family, which suggests heredity doesn't play a major role. Contrary to popular belief, there is still no clear evidence at this point that cellular phones or power lines can cause brain cancer.
Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms of a brain tumor depend mainly on the size of the tumor and its location in the brain. Many patients first notice a headache that comes and goes. The headache may be especially bad in the morning and then fade during the day.
Brain tumors may have a variety of symptoms ranging from headache to stroke. They are great mimics of other neurologic disorders. It is sometimes hard to know whether a CT Scan or MRI should be done if someone exhibits some of the symptoms and signs of brain cancer, but it is important to know that these studies will usually definitively establish whether a brain tumor is responsible for any of these symptoms.
Some problems which seem to be other diseases may in fact be a tumor. For example, sometimes a fall can come from a seizure caused by a tumor.
Diagnosis & Tests
If you are concerned, you should call a doctor who is familiar with these tumors - early detection and treatment may increase survival. If symptoms persist, sometimes gentle urging for an MRI is important to assure that everything is all right.
Treatment & Prevention
Many patients beat this disease, but they do it by focusing significant time and energy on treatment.
With major technological advances such as gene therapy and immunotherapy, there are more treatment options than ever before. Even the old standbys -- surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy -- are much more sophisticated now, allowing removal of previously inoperable tumors, and delivery of radiation or cancer-killing drugs directly to the tumor to decrease side-effects.
Prognosis
Brain cancer can be life-threatening, particularly if left untreated.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Brain Tumor: | | | | | Symptoms - Aging |  Decreased ability to use arm(s) or Inbility to use arm(s) | Gradual loss of movement in an arm or leg can indicate a brain tumor. |
Decreased ability to walk| | Gradual loss of movement in an arm or leg could indicate a brain tumor. When walking, unsteadiness, stumbling or imbalance (feeling weak and uncoordinated), especially if it is associated with headache, is a significant symptom. |
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Symptoms - General |
General dizziness| | Dizziness and disorientation are possible symptoms of a brain tumor. |
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Symptoms - Head - Ears |
Slight/significant/severe/complete hearing loss |
Symptoms - Head - Eyes/Ocular |
 Slight/significant/severe/complete vision loss| | Loss of vision in one or both eyes could indicate a brain tumor. |
Peripheral vision loss| | Loss of vision in one or both eyes is especially notable if it is peripheral vision loss. |
Vision disturbances| | Double vision, especially if it is associated with headache, is a significant symptom of a brain tumor. |
Eyes bulge not from hyperthyroidism| | Meningiomas - benign tumors that originate in the covering (meninges) around the brain - can cause different symptoms, depending on where they grow. They may cause weakness or numbness, seizures, an impaired sense of smell, bulging eyes, and changes in vision. In elderly people, they may cause memory loss and difficulty in thinking, similar to that found with Alzheimer's disease. |
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Symptoms - Head - Mouth/Oral |
Rapid/gradual decline in speaking ability| | Speech difficulty of gradual onset is a possible brain tumor symptom. |
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Symptoms - Metabolic |
Current atypical/resolved atypical recent headaches
Having headaches| | This is probably the most common symptom of a brain tumor. Most people with headache, even persistent or severe headaches, do not have a tumor. However, some kinds of headache are particularly worrisome. A steady headache that is worse in the morning than the afternoon, a persistent headache that is associated with nausea or vomiting, or a headache accompanied by double vision, weakness, or numbness all suggest a possible tumor. |
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Symptoms - Mind - General |
Recent "don't care" attitude| | A change in behavior, such as the development of an "I don't care" attitude, speech changes, memory loss, loss of concentration, and general confusion may all be subtle signs of a brain tumor. An evaluation by a neurologist may be an important step, but a CT or MRI will also help. |
Occasional/frequent confusion/disorientation
Having trouble concentrating |
Symptoms - Nervous |
Continuing slight/continuing significant limb numbness| | Gradual loss of sensation in an arm or leg (numbness) can be due to a brain tumor. |
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Conditions that suggest Brain Tumor:
Risk factors for Brain Tumor: | | | | | Symptoms - Cancer | History of brain cancer |
Symptoms - Environment |
(History of/high) solvent exposure| | Some factors can make the disease more likely. For example, chemists, embalmers, and people who work in oil refineries, rubber factories, or drug factories may be at slightly higher-than-average risk. |
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Symptoms - Food - General |
History of anorexia| | Having had an eating disorder as a child increases the risk of a brain tumor later in life. |
History of bulimia| | Having had an eating disorder as a child increases the risk of a brain tumor later in life. |
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Brain Tumor suggests the following may be present:
Brain Tumor can lead to:
Brain Tumor could instead be: | | | | | Circulation | Stroke| | Older persons with brain tumors may be initially misdiagnosed as having had a stroke. A stroke, even when it looks like one on a CT, may turn out to be the result of a tumor. |
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Recommendations and treatments for Brain Tumor: | | | | | Diet |  Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Avoidance| | According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, brain tumors can be triggered or worsened by ingesting aspartame.
In 1981 Satya Dubey, an FDA statistician, stated that the brain tumor data on aspartame was so "worrisome" that he could not recommend approval of NutraSweet. In a two-year study conducted by the manufacturer of aspartame, twelve of the 320 rats fed a normal diet and aspartame developed brain tumors while none of the control rats had tumors. Five of the twelve tumors were in rats given a low dose of aspartame. The approval of aspartame was a violation of the Delaney Amendment which was supposed to prevent cancer-causing substances such as methanol (formaldehyde) and DKP from entering our food supply.
The late Dr Adrian Gross, an FDA toxicologist, testified before the US Congress that aspartame was capable of producing brain tumors. This made it illegal for the FDA to set an allowable daily intake at any level. He stated in his testimony that Searle's studies were "to a large extent unreliable" and that "at least one of those studies has established beyond any reasonable doubt that aspartame is capable of inducing brain tumors in experimental animals..." He concluded his testimony by asking, "What is the reason for the apparent refusal by the FDA to invoke for this food additive the so-called Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act? ... And if the FDA itself elects to violate the law, who is left to protect the health of the public?"
In the mid-1970s it was discovered that the manufacturer of aspartame falsified studies in several ways. One of the techniques used was to cut tumors out of test animals and put them back in the study. Another technique used to falsify the studies was to list animals that had actually died as surviving the study. Thus, the data on brain tumors was likely worse than discussed above. In addition, a former employee of the manufacturer of aspartame, Raymond Schroeder, told the FDA on July 13, 1977 that the particles of DKP were so large that the rats could discriminate between the DKP and their normal diet.
It is interesting to note that the incidence of brain tumors in persons over 65 years of age has increased 67% between the years 1973 and 1990. Brain tumors in all age groups has jumped 10%. The greatest increase has come during the years 1985-1987.
In his book, Aspartame (NutraSweet). Is it Safe?, Roberts gives evidence that aspartame can cause a particularly dangerous form of cancer - primary lymphoma of the brain. |
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Drug |
 LDN - Low Dose Naltrexone| | The presence of opioid receptors on tumor cells is considered necessary for low dose naltrexone to be beneficial. Glioblastomas and astrocytomas were thought to be low in these receptors, but this assumption has turned out to be inaccurate. These tumor types contain sizable numbers of opioid receptors on their cell membranes. |
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Immunotherapy |
 Antineoplaston Therapy| | Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, who practices in Houston, Texas, has discovered that a group of peptides (short chains of amino acids) and amino acid derivatives normally are present in the body and serve to keep cells healthy and dividing normally. He also has discovered that people with cancer are critically short on these substances, which he has named "antineoplastons". He has particular success with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, as well as two brain cancers: glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytoma, both of which are incurable using conventional therapy. |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Alzheimer's Disease (Alzheimer's)
A progressive disease of the middle-aged and elderly, characterized by loss of function and death of nerve cells in several areas of the brain, leading to loss of mental functions such as memory and learning. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.
Amenorrhea
Absence or suppression of menses. Primary amenorrhea is the failure to begin menses by age 16, secondary amenorrhea is tardy menses (from pregnancy, stress, dieting, illness or intensive physical training) in the previously menstruating woman.
Amino Acid (Amino Acids)
An organic acid containing nitrogen chemical building blocks that aid in the production of protein in the body. Eight of the twenty-two known amino acids are considered "essential," and must be obtained from dietary sources because the body can not synthesize them.
Aspartame
A low-calorie sweetener used in a variety of foods and drinks and as a tabletop sweetener. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is commonly known by names such as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful or Equal-Measure.
Benign
Literally: innocent; not malignant. Often used to refer to cells that are not cancerous; they tend to grow slowly and don't spread (metastasize) like cancer tumors do.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Chemotherapy
A treatment of disease by any chemicals. Used most often to refer to the chemical treatments used to combat cancer cells. Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles: a treatment period followed by a recovery period, then another treatment period, and so on. Most anticancer drugs are given by injection into a blood vessel (IV); some are given by mouth. Chemotherapy is a systemic therapy, meaning that the drugs enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. Usually, a patient has chemotherapy as an outpatient (at the hospital, at the doctor's office, or at home). However, depending on which drugs are given and the patient's general health, a short hospital stay may be needed.
Computerised Tomography (CAT Scan, Computed Tomography, Computerized Axial Tomography, CT Scan)
A scanning procedure using X-rays and a computer to detect abnormalities of the body's organs. This technique provides cross-sectional images of body organs, which is much clearer than those provided by conventional X-rays.
FDA
The (American) Food and Drug Administration. It is the official government agency that is responsible for ensuring that what we put into our bodies - particularly food and drugs - is safe and effective.
Immunotherapy
Techniques used to stimulate or strengthen a patient's own immune system.
Lymphoma (Lymphomas)
Any tumor of the lymphatic tissues.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
A technique used in diagnosis that combines radio waves and magnetic forces to produce detailed images of the internal structures of the body.
Malignant (Cancerous)
Dangerous. Mainly used to describe a cancerous growth -- when used this way, it means the growth is cancerous and predisposed to spreading.
Menstruation (Menses, Menstrual, Menstrual Cycle, Menstrual Cycles, Menstrual Flow, Menstrual Phase, Monthly Cycle)
The periodic discharge of blood, tissue fluid and mucus from the endometrium (lining of the uterus) that usually lasts from 3 - 5 days. It is caused by a sudden reduction in estrogens and progesterone.
Metastasize (Metastases, Metastasized, Metastasizes, Metastasizing, Metastatic)
Usually in reference to cancer: to spread, especially destructively.
Nausea
Symptoms resulting from an inclination to vomit.
Nervous System
A system in the body that is comprised of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, ganglia and parts of the receptor organs that receive and interpret stimuli and transmit impulses to effector organs.
Peripheral Vision
The type of vision that allows one to see objects that are not in the center of one's visual field.
Seizure (Seizures)
While there are over 40 types of seizure, most are classed as either partial seizures which occur when the excessive electrical activity in the brain is limited to one area or generalized seizures which occur when the excessive electrical activity in the brain encompasses the entire organ. Although there is a wide range of signs, they mainly include such things as falling to the ground; muscle stiffening; jerking and twitching; loss of consciousness; an empty stare; rapid chewing/blinking/breathing. Usually lasting from between a couple of seconds and several minutes, recovery may be immediate or take up to several days.
Stroke (Stroke-Type Event)
A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel that supplies the brain, characterized by loss of muscular control, complete or partial loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of the damage to the brain. The most common manifestation is some degree of paralysis, but small strokes may occur without symptoms. Usually caused by arteriosclerosis, it often results in brain damage.
Tumor (Tumors, Tumour, Tumours)
An abnormal growth of tissue resulting from uncontrolled, progressive multiplication of cells and serving no physiological function; a neoplasm. Literally, a swelling; in the past the term has been used in reference to any swelling of the body, no matter what the cause. However, the word is now being used almost exclusively to refer to a neoplastic mass, and the more general usage is being discarded.
Virus (Viri, Viruses)
Any of a vast group of minute structures composed of a protein coat and a core of DNA and/or RNA that reproduces in the cells of the infected host. Capable of infecting all animals and plants, causing devastating disease in immunocompromised individuals. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics, and are completely dependent upon the cells of the infected host for the ability to reproduce.
Last updated: Mar 24, 2009
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