A benign brain tumour is an abnormal but not cancerous growth of tissue in the brain. A malignant tumour is any cancer in the brain that has the potential to invade and destroy neighbouring tissue or that has spread (metastasized) to the brain from elsewhere through the blood stream. Brain tumours are equally common among men and women. They may be primary or secondary. Primary turmours originate in the cells within or next to the brain and may be cancerous or not. Secondary brain tumours are metastases originating in another part of the brain and thus are always cancerous. Patients with symptoms of brain tumours should be evaluated by a neurologist.
Many brain tumours are benign and can only be cured by their complete removal. Generalised symptoms of a brain tumour include: recurring headache that seem more pronounced upon awakening, seizures, nausea and vomiting. Depending on the area of the brain affected some localised symptoms can occur such as progressive weakness or numbness of limbs, memory loss or confusion in everyday matters, changes in behaviour or personality, vision problems e.g. blurred and/or double vision or loss of peripheral vision, speech and hearing difficulty.
For diagnosing a case of tumour case history should be reviewed by a neurologist after clinical examinations. He would then order some investigations and tests such as CT scan of the brain (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain and cerebral angiogram. Certain blood tests including electrolytes and tumour markers may also be ordered. Biopsy may be ordered if and when the tumour is surgically removed – just to confirm the nature of the tumour.