Symptoms of brain cancer depend on several factors, including the tumor type, size, location and extent, as well as age, health history and more. Brain cancer can have a wide variety of symptoms including seizures, sleepiness, confusion, and behavioral changes. Not all brain tumors are cancerous, and benign tumors can result in similar symptoms. The symptoms of brain tumors depend on their size and location in the brain. Symptoms often are caused by damage to vital tissue and pressure on the brain as the tumor grows within the limited space in the skull. They may be caused by swelling and a buildup of fluid around the tumor, a condition called edema. Symptoms also may be due to hydrocephalus, which occurs when the tumor blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and causes a build-up in the ventricles.

Brain tumors account for one in every 100 cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. Most malignant brain tumors and brain cancers have spread from other tumors in the body to the skull, including cancers of the breast and lung, malignant melanoma and blood cell cancers (such as leukemia and lymphoma). Some brain tumors start in the cells that support the nerve cells of the brain, where they can crowd out normal cells and spread to other locations in the body. Tumors can either destroy tissue or cause problems in other parts of the body because of the pressure the tumor puts on the brain.

Primary brain tumours emerge from the various cells that make up the brain and central nervous system and are named based on the kind of cell they first form in. The most common types of adult brain tumours are gliomas, the commonest type of which is called an astrocytoma. These tumours form from cells called astrocytes, which are cells that help support the nerve cells. Symptoms of brain cancer are influenced by which part of the brain is involved and the functional system it affects (e.g., motor, sensory, language, etc.). For example, vision problems may result from a tumor near the optic nerve. A tumor in the front part of the brain may affect the ability to concentrate and think. A tumor located in an area that controls motor function may cause weakness, numbness or difficulty with speech. Any tumor that is significantly large can create multiple symptoms because of the pressure created by the mass.

Types of Brain Cancer

Brain tumors are abnormal growths of cells in the brain-

Although such growths are popularly called brain tumors, not all brain tumors are cancer. Cancer is a term reserved for malignant tumors.
Malignant tumors can grow and spread aggressively, overpowering healthy cells by taking their space, blood, and nutrients. They can also spread to distant parts of the body. Like all cells of the body, tumor cells need blood and nutrients to survive.
Tumors that do not invade nearby tissue or spread to distant areas are called benign.
In general, a benign tumor is less serious than a malignant tumor. But a benign tumor can still cause many problems in the brain by pressing on nearby tissue.

Symptoms that may be specific to the location of the tumor include:

Pressure or headache near the tumor
Loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills is linked with a tumor in the cerebellum.
Changes in judgment, including loss of initiative, sluggishness, and muscle weakness or paralysis is associated with a tumor in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum.
Partial or complete loss of vision is caused by a tumor in the occipital lobe or temporal lobe of the cerebrum.
Changes in speech, hearing, memory, or emotional state, such as aggressiveness and problems understanding or retrieving words can develop from a tumor in the frontal and temporal lobe of cerebrum.
Altered perception of touch or pressure, arm or leg weakness on one side of the body, or confusion with left and right sides of the body are linked to a tumor in the frontal or parietal lobe of the cerebrum.
Inability to look upward can be caused by a pineal gland tumor.
Lactation, which is the secretion of breast milk and altered menstrual periods in women, and growth in hands and feet in adults are associated with a pituitary tumor.
Difficulty swallowing, facial weakness or numbness, or double vision is a symptom of a tumor in the brain stem.
Vision changes, including loss of part of the vision or double vision can be from a tumor in the temporal lobe, occipital lobe, or brain stem. read more