The abnormal growth of cells in the brain is called a brain tumor. This type of tumor can start in the brain itself or arise as a branch of other types of cancer. The primary tumor or cancer originating in the brain is of many types such as meningioma, acoustic neuroma, pineoblastoma, ependymoma, and oligodendroglioma. The name of the cancer is derived from the type of cell from which the cancer originates. Brain cancer is almost always fatal and could lead to a host of other health problems. Due to its highly complex nature, the study of brain cancer progresses at a very slow pace.
The 3 main causes of brain cancer are:
DNA mutation
Cancer occurs when the cell loses its ability to die. Plainly speaking, cells become immortal. And they begin to multiply rapidly and proliferate at high speed. This change is believed to occur in the cell due to a mutation (change) in the structure of the cell’s DNA. The abnormal cells have no place to move and begin to clump in place, creating bumps or tumors that we see. Soon these cells begin to infect other cells, turning them cancerous.
age and gender
Although people of all ages are at risk of brain cancer, the rate of occurrence increases with age. Statistics have shown that men are more prone to this brain disease than women. Women, on the other hand, have more types of non-cancerous tumors.
Inheritance
Genetic conditions also play an important role in causing cancer. Children of cancer patients are more prone to this disease.
medical conditions
Those suffering from medical conditions such as neurofibromatosis, Turcot syndrome, Gorlin syndrome, Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, AIDS, and Li-Fraumeni syndrome have been found to be more prone to cancer.
miscellaneous causes
Harmful UV rays have been found to be one of the main causes of skin cancer. Whether these rays damage brain cells has not yet been studied. Smoking, alcohol, hair dyes, and other chemicals are thought to be carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). Recently there are many studies on how the use of mobile phones could be related to brain cancer. Some research studies also link brain cancer to living near areas with power lines. Children exposed to radiation therapy for other treatments are thought to be at increased risk of brain cancer.