Brain and Spine Tumors Prevention

Some tumors are found because cancer in another part of the body has spread to the brain, for instance breast cancer or lung cancer. Primary brain tumors, on the other hand, originate in the brain and are the third most common type of brain cancer. Here are the most common:

• Glioblastoma. Of the different types of primary brain cancers, glioblastoma is the most common, accounting for 48% of primary disease. While rare, glioblastomas are the most complex and the most challenging form of brain cancer to treat.
• Glioma. About 3 out of 10 of all brain tumors are gliomas. Gliomas can be very fast-growing and a rapid treatment plan is critical.
• Meningioma. Meningiomas form in the layers of tissue that surround the outer part of the brain and spinal cord. The risk of meningiomas increases with age and they are twice as common in women.
• Pituitary Tumors. These tumors form in the pituitary gland, a hormone-producing gland that sits just beneath the base of the brain. They are most often benign; however, they can still cause issues if they grow large enough.
• Pineal Region Tumors. Pineal region tumors are tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). They begin in the pineal gland, which is located deep in the middle part of the brain, and can spread to the spinal cord.

Most brain tumors are not linked with any known risk factors and have no obvious cause. This makes brain cancer even more challenging and difficult for patients and their families as well as the physicians and health care professionals treating them. However, there are some factors known to increase one’s risk of developing brain tumors.

• Cancer in another area of the body. Of the more than 125 different types of brain and spinal tumors, most originate in areas away from the brain, such as the breast or lungs, and spread to the brain. This is why it is important to be screened for other cancers regularly and know your family history for other cancers and receive aggressive cancer treatment once you are diagnosed with cancer in other areas of your body, before it travels to your brain.
• Radiation exposure. Environmental risk factors such as excess radiation exposure are most often due to radiation treatment for another condition, such as cancer.
• Family history. While extremely rare, brain tumors may run in families with certain genetic disorders, such as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), tuberous sclerosis and Von-Hippel-Lindau disease.
• Age. Glioblastoma and other brain cancers can affect children and older adults alike, but data suggests that they are far more common in individuals ages 60 to 85.

• Persistent, intense headaches. While headaches are a normal occurrence that affect everyone at one point or another, headaches that increase in frequency or intensity may be cause for concern.
• Seizures. Seizures can occur when there are bursts of abnormal electrical activity around the tumor. Half of people with brain cancer will experience seizures as a symptom.
• Changes in vision, hearing and speech. If a brain tumor is in the temporal lobe, it can affect language and speech. If a tumor is in the occipital lobe or brain stem, it can affect a person’s vision. For instance, a sudden loss of vision or the inability to speak or respond to speech could indicate something is wrong.
• Changes in personality, behavior or activity level. The brain controls every aspect of our senses, motor function, as well as who we are. Examples of behavior changes can include aggression or irritability, apathy, confusion, depression and extreme mood swings.
• Loss of balance and trouble walking. If a tumor is in the cerebellum, the back part of the brain that controls coordination and movement, a person might have trouble walking and lose their balance.
• Weakness or numbness in the arms or legs. When tumors are located in the outer part of the brain, the part of the brain that controls movement and sensation, they can cause weakness or numbness in the body, and are often experienced on just on one side.
• Back pain or pain that spreads from the back toward the arms or legs. Intense back pain that travels down the body can indicate a spinal cord tumor. 

Any of the above signs and symptoms could be early indicators that tumorous growth in either the brain or spinal column is present.

At Winship, our experts in brain and spinal cancers are working to determine what causes primary tumors in these areas. While there are currently no known evidence-based prevention strategies for brain cancer, according to the NCI, there is promising research being done right now.