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Abnormal growth of the cells in the brain is termed as brain tumor. This type of tumor may begin in the brain itself or arise as an offshoot from other types of cancers. Primary tumor or cancer that originates in the brain is of many types such as meningioma, acoustic neuroma, pineoblastoma, ependymoma and oligodendroglioma. The name of the cancer is derived from the type of cell that the cancer originates from. Brain cancer is almost always lethal and could lead to a suite of other health problems. Due to its highly intricate nature, brain cancer study is going on at a very slow pace.
The top 3 causes of brain cancer are:
DNA Mutation
Cancer occurs when the cell loses its ability to die. In plain speaking, the cells become immortal. And they start multiplying quickly and proliferate at great speeds. It is believed that this change occurs in the cell due to a mutation (change) in the DNA structure of the cell. The abnormal cells have no place to move and start lumping in the location, creating bumps or tumors that we see. Soon, these cells start infecting other cells and make them cancerous.
Age and Gender
Though people of all ages have the risk of getting brain cancer, the rate of occurrence becomes higher with increasing age. Statistics has shown that men are more prone to this brain disease than women. Females, on the other hand, have more non-cancerous type of tumors.
Heredity
Genetic conditions also have a major role in causing cancer. Children of cancer patients are more prone to this disease.
Medical Conditions
It has been found that those suffering from medical conditions such as Neurofibromatosis, Turcot syndrome, Gorlin syndrome, Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, AIDS and Li-Fraumeni syndrome are more prone to cancer.
Miscellaneous Causes
The harmful UV rays have been found to be one of the major causes of skin cancer. Whether these rays damage the cells of the brain is yet to be studied. Smoking, alcohol, hair dye and other chemicals are believed to be carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). Recently there are a lot of studies about how use of mobile phones could be linked to brain cancer. Some research studies also link brain cancer to living in proximity to areas that have high power lines. It is believed that children who are exposed to radiotherapy for other treatments could have a higher risk of brain cancer.
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