Brain Tumor Essay

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within the brain, which can be cancerous or non-cancerous (benign). It is generally caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either in the brain itself (neurons, glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells), lymphatic blood vessels), in the cranial nerves (myelin-producing Schwann cells), in the brain envelopes (meninges), skull, pituitary and pineal gland, or spread from cancers primarily located in other organs (metastatic tumors). Brain tumors are of two types: primary and secondary. Primary brain tumors include any tumor that starts in the brain. Primary brain tumors can start from brain cells, the membranes around the brain (meninges), nerves, or glands. Primary brain tumors are classified as: 1) benign; 2) malignant. Benign tumors can be removed, and they seldom grow back. Benign brain tumors usually have an obvious border or edge. They don't spread to other parts of the body. However, benign tumors can press on sensitive areas of the brain and cause serious health problems. Malignant brain tumors are generally more serious and often are a threat to life. They are likely to grow rapidly and crowd or invade the …show more content…
That is up from an estimated 612,000+ people living with a primary brain and CNS tumor in the United States in 2004, 124,000 with malignant tumors and 488,000 with nonmalignant tumors. An estimated 13,700 deaths are expected to occur this year due to brain tumors, 7,720 males, and 5,980 females. About 43% of brain and CNS tumors occur in men and about 57% occur in women. So efficient and accurate techniques are required for brain tumor detection. In India, totally 80,271 people are affected by various types of tumor (2007 estimates)