WA brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: cancerous (malignant) tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. Cancerous tumors can be divided into primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondary tumors, which most commonly have spread from tumors located outside the brain, known as brain metastasis tumors. All types of brain tumors may produce symptoms that vary depending on the part of the brain involved. These symptoms may include headaches, seizures, problems with vision, vomiting and mental changes. The headache is classically worse in the morning and goes away with vomiting. Other symptoms may include difficulty walking, speaking or with sensations. As the disease progresses, unconsciousness may occur.
WAnaplastic astrocytoma is a rare WHO grade III type of astrocytoma, which is a type of cancer of the brain. In the United States, the annual incidence rate for Anaplastic astrocytoma is 0.44 per 100,000 people
WAnaplastic oligodendroglioma is a neuroepithelial tumor which is believed to originate from oligodendrocytes, a cell type of the glia. In the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of brain tumors, anaplastic oligodendrogliomas are classified as grade III. In the course of the disease, they can degenerate into WHO grade IV glioblastoma. The vast majority of oligodendrogliomas occur sporadically, without a confirmed cause and without inheritance within a family.
WAstrocytomas are a type of brain tumor. They originate in a particular kind of glial cells, star-shaped brain cells in the cerebrum called astrocytes. This type of tumor does not usually spread outside the brain and spinal cord and it does not usually affect other organs. Astrocytomas are the most common glioma and can occur in most parts of the brain and occasionally in the spinal cord. Within the astrocytomas, two broad classes are recognized in literature, those with:Narrow zones of infiltration, that often are clearly outlined on diagnostic images Diffuse zones of infiltration, that share various features, including the ability to arise at any location in the central nervous system, but with a preference for the cerebral hemispheres; they occur usually in adults, and have an intrinsic tendency to progress to more advanced grades.
WA brain metastasis is a cancer that has metastasized (spread) to the brain from another location in the body and is therefore considered a secondary brain tumor. The metastasis typically shares a cancer cell type with the original site of the cancer. Metastasis is the most common cause of brain cancer, with primary tumors that originate in the brain being less common. The most common sites of primary cancer which metastasize to the brain are lung, breast, colon, kidney, and skin cancer. Brain metastases can occur in patients months or even years after their original cancer is treated. Brain metastases have a poor prognosis for cure, but modern treatments are allowing patients to live months and sometimes years after the diagnosis.
WCentral neurocytoma (CNC) is an extremely rare, ordinarily benign intraventricular brain tumour that typically forms from the neuronal cells of the septum pellucidum. The majority of central neurocytomas grow inwards into the ventricular system forming interventricular neurocytomas. This leads to two primary symptoms of CNCs, blurred vision and increased intracranial pressure. Treatment for a central neurocytoma typically involves surgical removal, with an approximate 1 in 5 chance of recurrence. Central neurocytomas are classified as a grade II tumor under the World Health Organization's classification of tumors of the nervous system.
WA choroid plexus carcinoma is a type of choroid plexus tumor that affects the choroid plexus of the brain. It is considered the worst of the three grades of chord plexus tumors, having a much poorer prognosis than choroid atypical plexus papilloma and choroid plexus papilloma. The disease creates lesions in the brain and increases cerebrospinal fluid volume, resulting in hydrocephalus.
WChoroid plexus papilloma, also known as papilloma of the choroid plexus, is a rare benign neuroepithelial intraventricular WHO grade I lesion found in the choroid plexus. It leads to increased cerebrospinal fluid production, thus causing increased intracranial pressure and hydrocephalus.
WDysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour is a type of brain tumor. Most commonly found in the temporal lobe, DNTs have been classified as benign tumours. These are glioneuronal tumours comprising both glial and neuron cells and often have ties to focal cortical dysplasia.
WAn ependymoma is a tumor that arises from the ependyma, a tissue of the central nervous system. Usually, in pediatric cases the location is intracranial, while in adults it is spinal. The common location of intracranial ependymomas is the fourth ventricle. Rarely, ependymomas can occur in the pelvic cavity.
WFibrillary astrocytomas are a group of primary slow-growing brain tumors that typically occur in adults between the ages of 20 and 50.
WThe giant-cell glioblastoma is a histological variant of glioblastoma, presenting a prevalence of bizarre, multinucleated giant cells.
WGlioblastoma, also known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is the most aggressive type of cancer that begins within the brain. Initially, signs and symptoms of glioblastoma are nonspecific. They may include headaches, personality changes, nausea and symptoms similar to those of a stroke. Symptoms often worsen rapidly and may progress to unconsciousness.
WA glioma is a type of tumor that starts in the glial cells of the brain or the spine. Gliomas comprise about 30 percent of all brain tumors and central nervous system tumours, and 80 percent of all malignant brain tumours.
WGliomatosis cerebri is a rare primary brain tumor. It is commonly characterized by diffuse infiltration of the brain with neoplastic glial cells that affect various areas of the cerebral lobes. These malignancies consist of infiltrative threads that spread quickly and deeply into the surrounding brain tissue, or into multiple parts of the brain simultaneously, making them very difficult to remove with surgery or treat with radiation. Gliomatosis cerebri behaves like a malignant tumor that is very similar to Glioblastoma.
WGliosarcoma is a rare type of glioma, a cancer of the brain that comes from glial, or supportive, brain cells, as opposed to the neural brain cells. Gliosarcoma is a malignant cancer, and is defined as a glioblastoma consisting of gliomatous and sarcomatous components.
WA hemangiopericytoma is a type of soft-tissue sarcoma that originates in the pericytes in the walls of capillaries. When inside the nervous system, although not strictly a meningioma tumor, it is a meningeal tumor with a special aggressive behavior. It was first characterized in 1942.
WIntracranial epidermoid cysts develop in the early embryonic phases. The cysts develop when epithelial cells are confined with cells that form the brain.
WMedulloblastoma is the most common type of primary brain cancer in children. It originates in the part of the brain that is towards the back and the bottom, on the floor of the skull, in the cerebellum, or posterior fossa.
WMedulloepithelioma is a rare, primitive, fast-growing brain tumour thought to stem from cells of the embryonic medullary cavity. Tumours originating in the ciliary body of the eye are referred to as embryonal medulloepitheliomas, or diktyomas.
WA melanocytoma is a rare pigmented tumor that has been described as a variant of the melanocytic nevus and is a derivative of the neural crest. The term "melanocytoma" was introduced by Limas and Tio in 1972.
WLeptomeningeal cancer is a rare complication of cancer in which the disease spreads from the original tumor site to the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This leads to an inflammatory response, hence the alternative names neoplastic meningitis (NM), malignant meningitis, or carcinomatous meningitis. The term leptomeningeal describes the thin meninges, the arachnoid and the pia mater, between which the cerebrospinal fluid is located. The disorder was originally reported by Eberth in 1870.
WMeningioma, also known as meningeal tumor, is typically a slow-growing tumor that forms from the meninges, the membranous layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms depend on the location and occur as a result of the tumor pressing on nearby tissue. Many cases never produce symptoms. Occasionally seizures, dementia, trouble talking, vision problems, one sided weakness, or loss of bladder control may occur.
WNeuroblastoma (NB) is a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue. It most frequently starts from one of the adrenal glands but can also develop in the neck, chest, abdomen, or spine. Symptoms may include bone pain, a lump in the abdomen, neck, or chest, or a painless bluish lump under the skin.
WNeurocytoma is a type of nervous system benign tumor which is primarily derived from nervous tissue. This is in contrast to the gliomas, which are derived from glial cells, and not from nervous tissue.
WNeutron capture therapy (NCT) is a nonsurgical therapeutic modality for treating locally invasive malignant tumors such as primary brain tumors, recurrent head and neck cancer, and cutaneous and extracutaneous melanomas. It is a two-step procedure: first, the patient is injected with a tumor-localizing drug containing the non-radioactive isotope boron-10 (10B), which has a high propensity to capture thermal neutrons. The cross section of the 10B is many times greater than that of the other elements present in tissues such as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. In the second step, the patient is radiated with epithermal neutrons, the source of which is either a nuclear reactor or an accelerator. After losing energy as they penetrate tissue, the neutrons are captured by the 10B, which subsequently emits high-energy alpha particles that kill adjacent cells that have taken up sufficient quantities of 10B. All of the clinical experience to date with NCT is with the non-radioactive isotope boron-10, and this is known as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The use of other non-radioactive isotopes, such as gadolinium, has been limited to experimental studies and has not been used clinically. BNCT has been evaluated clinically as an alternative to conventional radiation therapy for the treatment of high-grade gliomas, meningiomas, and recurrent, locally advanced cancers of the head and neck region and superficial cutaneous and extracutaneous melanomas.
WOligoastrocytomas are a subset of brain tumors that present with an appearance of mixed glial cell origin, astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. However, the term "Oligoastrocytoma" is now considered obsolete by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network stating "the term should no longer be used as such morphologically ambiguous tumors can be reliable resolved into astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas with molecular testing."
WOligodendrogliomas are a type of glioma that are believed to originate from the oligodendrocytes of the brain or from a glial precursor cell. They occur primarily in adults but are also found in children.
WOptic nerve sheath meningiomas (ONSM) are rare benign tumors of the optic nerve. 60–70% of cases occur in middle age females, and is more common in older adults. It is also seen in children, but this is rare. The tumors grow from cells that surround the optic nerve, and as the tumor grows, it compresses the optic nerve. This causes loss of vision in the affected eye. Rarely, it may affect both eyes at the same time.
WA pilocytic astrocytoma is a brain tumor that occurs more often in children and young adults. They usually arise in the cerebellum, near the brainstem, in the hypothalamic region, or the optic chiasm, but they may occur in any area where astrocytes are present, including the cerebral hemispheres and the spinal cord. These tumors are usually slow growing and benign. The neoplasms are associated with the formation of one or more cysts, and can become very large.
WPineocytoma, is a benign, slowly growing tumor of the pineal gland. Unlike the similar condition pineal gland cyst, it is uncommon.
WPleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a brain tumor that occurs most frequently in children and teenagers. At Boston Children's Hospital, the average age at diagnosis is 12 years.
WA primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), also termed primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system, is a primary intracranial tumor appearing mostly in patients with severe immunodeficiency. It is a subtype and one of the most aggressive of the diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. PCNSLs represent around 20% of all cases of lymphomas in HIV infections.. Primary CNS lymphoma is highly associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in immunodeficient patients, and does not have a predilection for any particular age group. Mean CD4+ count at time of diagnosis is ~50/uL. In immunocompromised patients, prognosis is usually poor. In immunocompetent patients, there is rarely an association with EBV infection or other DNA viruses. In the immunocompetent population, PCNSLs typically appear in older patients in their 50s and 60s. Importantly, the incidence of PCNSL in the immunocompetent population has been reported to have increased more than 10-fold from 2.5 cases to 30 cases per 10 million population. The cause for the increase in incidence of this disease in the immunocompetent population is unknown.
WA sphenoid wing meningioma is a benign brain tumor near the sphenoid bone.
WSubependymal giant cell astrocytoma is a low-grade astrocytic brain tumor (astrocytoma) that arises within the ventricles of the brain. It is most commonly associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Although it is a low-grade tumor, its location can potentially obstruct the ventricles and lead to hydrocephalus.
WA subependymoma is a type of brain tumor; specifically, it is a rare form of ependymal tumor. They are usually in middle aged people. Earlier, they were called subependymal astrocytomas.
WThe Untimely Gift is a 2017 short drama film directed by Scott Aharoni and Dennis Latos.
WThe following is a simplified (deprecated) version of the last 2007 WHO classification of the tumours of the central nervous system. Currently, as of 2016, clinicians are using revised WHO grade 4th edition which incorporates recent advance in molecular pathology. The 4th revised edition, as the name implies, will soon be updated to catch up ever growing knowledge of this field.