Secondary Brain Tumors

The secondary brain tumor is also known as metastatic tumors of the brain. This kind of brain tumor happens when the tumor cells of other body part gets carried by the blood stream and effects the brain cells. It has been observed that secondary tumors are about 3 time’s common than the primary brain tumors. In these cases usually multiple tumors gets developed. Solitary metastasized cancers of brain are less common.

The secondary cancers of the brain are actually originated from the cancers of lung, breast, and skin melanoma or from kidney. Such cancers are more frequent than the primary tumors of the brain. The tumor cells travel to the brain via blood vessels. The brain does not have the lymphatic drainage system. Thus the tumor cells get spread by the lymphatic route becomes impossible for the brain.

Some of the aggressive brain tumors like the glioblastoma are seen in more than one location but this happens in the advanced stages of the ailment. The symptoms, treatment and the diagnosis of secondary tumor resemble that of the primary brain tumor. The treatment may depend on the extent of cancer spread, its location, patient’s history etc.

What are the causes of brain tumor?
In most of the cases the abnormalities in the genes leads to the abnormal growth of the cells. These abnormalities can be due to directly genes or by alteration in the arrangement of a gene function.

It also has been noted that patients with certain kind of genetic conditions are more prone to develop tumors of the central nervous system. It also was observed that the genetic abnormalities of the brain are on account of environmental insults which in turn can affect the DNA of the cells. Some chemicals are also capable of changing the gene structure of the gene that defends the body from ailments and other diseases. Such cases were notably high with workers working in oil refineries, rubber manufacturing unit and chemists, Also patients who had received radiation therapy in the past ere more likely to develop this condition.