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Home » Causes

Causes

Brain cancer is caused by malignant brain tumor. A brain tumor is a mass or growth in the brain comprising of abnormal cells. Brain tumors are typically categorized into two types: primary and secondary. Primary brain tumors develop in the brain and can be either non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Secondary brain tumors rise from cancer that had its origin elsewhere in the body and spread to the brain. Secondary brain tumors are more common than primary brain tumor. There are many causes of brain cancer that can lead to either primary or secondary cancer.
Given below is a list of causes that possibly lead to brain cancer:
  • Tuberous sclerosis
  • Syphilis
  • Neurofibromatosis
  • Tuberculosis
Like the tumors elsewhere in the body, the exact causes of brain cancer are still unknown. Some of the possible brain cancer causes can be various environmental toxins, genetic factors, cigarette smoking, and radiation have been associated to cancers of brain, but in almost all cases of brain cancer, no clear cause has been shown. Some of the possible risk factors of primary brain tumors, that increase the risk of a cancer of the brain, include: HIV infection, an inherited genetic risk, and radiation to the head.

The abnormalities in the brain are caused by changes directly in the genes, or by the rearrangements of chromosomes that varies the function of a gene. Patients having certain genetic conditions, like von Hippel-Lindau disease,retinoblastoma, neurofibromatosis,and Li-Frameni syndrome, also increases the risk factors of developing tumors of the central nervous system. There are also some reports of members belonging to the same family who don’t have the genetic syndromes, but still suffer from brain tumors. The structure of a gene protecting the individual from diseases and cancer can be changed by the help of certain chemicals. People working in rubber manufacturing, refining and as chemists have an elevated incidence of certain tumor types. Patients, who have undergone radiation therapy to the head as a part of other malignancy treatment, also have the possibility of developing new types of brain tumors.

One of the known associations to brain cancer is exposure to vinyl chloride. Apart from that, there are no known environmental or chemical agents leading to the development of brain cancer. Inherited diseases can also be the causes of brain cancer.

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