Tumors

Intracranial tumors originate in the brain, the membranes of the brain (meninges), the brain nerves, the pituitary gland or the skull. Such tumors can also be caused by cancer cells spreading from other organs.

Brain tumors are the result of genetic mutation in the brain's supportive cells (glia cells) or stem cells. Principially these tumors are infiltrating, which means that the tumor grow into the brain tissue and destroys it. The most common form of brain tumor is glioblastoma, a form of tumor in which the cells divide quickly and hence the tumor grows rapidly. There are also several types of more benign gliomas. Treatment consists of surgical removal of the tumor, usually followed by radiotherapy and occasionally with chemotherapy.

The most common tumor in the membranes of the brain is called meningeoma. These tumors are usually separated from the brain itself by a membrane, and so they do not infiltrate the brain tissue. Rather the tumor pushes the brain aside as it grows. Nearly without exception, meningeomas are benign, yet their removal can be quite difficult if they grow in hard-to-reach locations, such as around blood vessels or near the base of the skull.

The brain communicates with the body's limbs through the spinal medulla. Communication with the eyes, ears, face, mouth, and some internal organs is carried by 12 sets of brain nerves. Tumors can sometimes grow on these nerves. The most common location is on the nerves related to balance. The tumors originate from the Schwann cells and are therefore termed schwannoma (in the past these tumors were called nevroma). Schwannoma are almost invariably benign.

Pituitary tumors may result in holmonal disturbances either because the tumor produces a large surplus of a specific hormone, or because it destroys the pituitary gland and disrupts the gland's normal hormone production. Treatment of pituitary tumors is medicinal or surgical.

Brain metastases are brain tumor that result from cancerous cells spreading from other organs to the brain.
 
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