| Cancer cells reproduce but they don't | | | | variety of symptoms, including: |
| die. They're sort of like evil | | | | Headaches, Seizures, Nausea or vomiting, |
| immortals. The body just can't kill them | | | | Weakness or loss of feeling in the arms |
| no matter how hard it tries. Brain | | | | or legs, memory loss, Abnormal eye |
| cancer is abnormal growths of cells in | | | | movements or changes in vision, |
| the brain. Although such growths are | | | | Drowsiness, problems with speech and |
| popularly called brain tumors, not all | | | | language, thought processing problems. |
| brain tumors are cancer. Cancer is a | | | | Treatment for a brain cancer depends on |
| term reserved for malignant tumors. | | | | a number of factors. Among these are the |
| Malignant tumors grow and spread | | | | type, location, and size of the tumor, |
| aggressively, overpowering healthy cells | | | | as well as the patient's age and general |
| by taking their space, blood, and | | | | health. Treatment methods and schedules |
| nutrients. (Like all cells of the body, | | | | often vary for children and adults. A |
| tumor cells need blood and nutrients to | | | | treatment plan is developed to fit each |
| survive.) Tumors that do not spread | | | | patient's need. It is possible to |
| aggressively are called benign. In | | | | decrease the risk of developing brain |
| general, a benign tumor is less serious | | | | metastases from certain tumors by |
| than a malignant tumor. But a benign | | | | decreasing the risk of developing the |
| tumor can still cause many problems in | | | | initial primary tumor in the first |
| the brain. | | | | place. Sometimes, when patients have |
| The symptoms of brain cancer depend | | | | certain cancers that are well |
| mainly on their size and their location | | | | controlled, they will be offered |
| in the brain. Symptoms are caused by | | | | preventive radiation therapy to the |
| damage to vital tissue and by pressure | | | | brain in order to decrease the |
| on the brain as the tumor grows within | | | | likelihood of developing brain |
| the limited space in the skull. As the | | | | metastases in the future. |
| tumor grows in size, it can produce a | | | | |