Brain Tumor Symptoms

 

A brain tumor is a tumor that either arises in the brain or it can be a tumor that spreads from a different part of your body such as a brain metastasis from breast cancer.

Overall, malignant brain tumors are rare. 

There's less than a one percent chance that an average adult will develop a malignant brain tumor in their lifetime. 

What is Brain Tumor?

It's comprised of abnormal cells that shouldn't be in the brain, and they form a mass. 

Brain tumors can range from:

•  benign, 
• or non-cancerous tumors, to malignant, or cancerous, tumors.

Brain tumors are typically found in imaging studies. Some more aggressive tumors can have a lot of swelling associated with them. Other kinds of tumors may be slower growing or maybe not as obvious. Sometimes we need to follow those patients over time to really distinguish a brain tumor from some other abnormality that can appear in the brain.

The signs and symptoms attributed to the brain tumor can depend on :

• the location 
• and the number of lesions in the brain.

For example, if you have a brain tumor in the speech area of your brain, you might present with difficulty speaking or understanding language. Sometimes patients can present in a non-specific way, meaning they develop symptoms that can be seen even in normal people.

Signs and Symptoms :

For example, you can have

•  A headache that doesn't seem to go away, that wakes you up in the morning
• It can be associated with nausea and vomiting.
• You can also have confusion,
• Other focal neurologic deficits

 It's important to note that because many of the symptoms of brain tumors are non-specific, just because you have one of these symptoms doesn't mean you have a brain tumor. However, if your symptoms are not resolving or are not explained by anything else, it's important to see your doctor for these symptoms.