Brain Tumor
Definition of a Brain Tumor:
A brain tumor is any growth of abnormal cells or uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the brain. Primary brain tumors involve any such growth that originates in the brain, rather than spreading to the brain from another part of the body.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors of a brain tumor:
A primary brain tumor may include any tumor that originates in the brain. The brain tumor may be localized to a small area, invasive (spread to nearby areas), benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Tumors can directly destroy brain cells. They can also indirectly damage cells by producing inflammation, compressing other parts of the brain as the tumor grows, inducing cerebral edema (brain swelling), and causing increased intracranial pressure (the pressure within the skull).
Classification of a brain tumor depends on the exact site of the tumor, the type of tissue involved, benign or malignant tendencies of the tumor, and other factors. The cause of primary brain tumors is unknown. Some tumors (retinoblastoma, for example) tend to be hereditary. Others tumors (craniopharyngioma) are congenital (present from before birth).
A brain tumor may occur at any age, but many have a particular age group in which they are most common. The most common childhood brain tumors are astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, and brain stem glioma. Gliomas account for 75% of brain tumors among children but only 45% in adults. Other than retinoblastomas, most brain tumors are rare in the first year of life.
Brain Tumor
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