Brain cancer is a rare kind of cancer which arises due to the growth of malignant cells in the tissues of the brain. The cells that grow in the brain tissue generally take the form of a tumor. This tumor is a cancer tissue which largely interferes with the functioning of the brain. These tumors, also termed malignant tumors, grow in the brain in a rapid and abnormal manner. There is a chance that the cancerous cells can grow from the pre-existing normal brain cells. Secondary cancers can also occur in the human brain. This is caused when the cancer cells are spread in the brain via the bloodstream.

The statistics from the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society says that around 16,050 people die of brain cancer where around 23,770 people develop it.

5% of people can develop a brain cancer as a result of genetic conditions through heredity. They can develop certain types of cancer like neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, and others.

Causes of brain cancer
There are a few and rare types of cell growth which occurs in the human brain leading to brain cancers. However, there are numerous risk factors for the people regarding brain cancers.

• The growth of medulloblastomas
  These cells are cancerous and generally generate a growth in the brains of children. It originates in the lower back part of the brain very near to the medulla oblongata. It spreads through the fluids of the spinal cord.
• The growth of germ cell tumors
  These can mostly be pre-cancerous cells. They may form in a person during the childhood where the ovaries and testicles are to be formed. They may also sometimes grow elsewhere like the brain.

A common kind of brain cancer is generally the metastatic brain cancers. These are secondary brain tumors which result in the formation of cancer tissue in the brain as it spreads from the other organs of the body. Majorly, secondary brain tumors are formed in a person who already has cancer in his body.

The common kinds of cancers which can easily spread in the brain are as follows:

• Lung cancer
• Breast cancer
• Colon cancer
• Melanoma
• Kidney cancer

Risk factors which increase the chances for people to develop brain tumor are as follows:

A family history of brain tumor  – Heredity is responsible for someone to acquire the condition of a brain tumor. Therefore, genetic syndromes can increase the chances for a person to develop brain tumors.

Radiation exposure  – Exposure to harmful radiations increases the risks of brain cancer.

Symptoms of brain cancer
The symptoms of brain cancer may be often misunderstood with the symptoms of other diseases. In case of brain cancer, the main symptoms are a severe and persistent headache, blurry vision, vomiting, confusion, sleepiness, and memory problems, changes in personality, hallucinations, coordination problems, fatigue and sensations of prickling in the skin. In most of the cases, a person can rarely experience any type of symptoms of brain cancer.

Treatments for brain cancer
The treatment for brain cancer for a person largely depends upon the type of cancer. Other factors which are must be taken into consideration are the location of the growth of the tumor, the size of the tumor, age, and condition of the health of the patient.

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are the main aspects of treating the brain cancer patient.