Top Causes, Symptoms & Risk Factors of Brain Cancer
Brain cancers are cancer cells grow to form a mass of cancer tissue (tumor) that interferes with brain functions such as muscle control, sensation, memory, and other normal body functions. Tumors composed of cancer cells are called malignant tumors, and those composed of mainly noncancerous cells are called benign tumors.
Causes
According to healthline.com, the causes of brain cancer are;
Some genetic diseases put you at risk for brain tumors. These include Turcot syndrome (a condition characterized by abnormal cells and polyps) and neurofibromatosis (a tumor-causing genetic disorder).
Radiation treatments for brain cancer increase your risk of developing brain tumors.
Symptoms
- New onset or change in pattern of headaches
- Headaches that gradually become more frequent and more severe
- Unexplained nausea or vomiting
- Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision
- Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg
- Difficulty with balance
- Speech difficulties
- Confusion in everyday matters
- Personality or behavior changes
- Seizures, especially in someone who doesn’t have a history of seizures
- Hearing problems
Other possible risk factors
Research has looked at other factors that may increase brain tumour risk, including
- Power lines: Several studies have looked at whether living near power lines increases the risk of brain tumours but they have not found an increased risk.
- Mobile phones: Researchers are investigating mobile phones to see how much low level (non ionising) radiation they produce. From the evidence so far we still can’t say that mobile phones pose a problem to health. There has been a concern about them causing brain tumours in particular. But there is no strong evidence that there is any link.
- Hair dye: According to the latest research, using hair dye is unlikely to increase your risk of developing a brain tumour.
- Smoking and alcohol: It’s not yet clear whether smoking affects brain tumour risk. But some studies have shown increased risks for some types of brain tumour. Drinking alcohol doesn’t seem to affect risk.