Types of Brain tumors

Types of Brain tumors

As mentioned earlier, there are two types of brain tumors, cancerous and the benign (non-cancerous). The brain tumor in the upper part of the brain is called supratentorial. The tumor in the posterior or inferior part of the brain is called infratentorial. These two kinds of cancerous and benign tumors also occur in the spinal cord.

Some cancerous tumors grow very rapidly and are serious, in which the patient’s lite span is only six months to 3 years e.g. malignant glioma (Anaplastic glioma, glioblastomamultifor-me etc....), whereas some cancerous tumors spread slowly like Astrocytoma, Oligodendroglioma etc.

Apart from this there are tumors of lymphoma kind in the brain, which are found mostly in the patients suffering from AIDS. .

The main benign tumors are meningioma, schwannoma and the tumors of the pituitary glands. If these are diagnosed in early stages and operated upon by a capable surgeon the life of the patient can be saved. Not only this, the patient can lead a near normal life, apart from some minor problems and weakness At the most he may have to take drugs for prevention of seizures for the rest of his life. If the cancer spreads from any other part of the body to the brain, it is known as metastatic tumor. Sometimes it so happens, that the symptoms of brain tumor may point out the presence of cancer in some other part of the body, but it is too late by then. Locating the primary cancer and treating it may increase the life span of the patient.