Hearing the word “tumor” can create an unwanted sense of confusion and fear in most individuals. A brain tumor especially can raise a great deal of fear in an individual who is directly linked to a diagnosis of a certain brain tumor type. Brian tumors can vary in degree and size but can be operated upon depending on various factors such as the severity of the tumor.
While hearing about a tumor often leads to figuring out the best steps in treating it, it is interesting to note what a brain tumor is, how brain tumors form, and where in the brain the tumors grow. Once the behavior of the brain tumor cells is clear, doctors and surgeons will be able to recommend the appropriate alternative brain cancer treatments.
A Tumor Formation
A brain tumor forms as a result of an abnormal mass of cells in the brain. A brain tumor can arise from within the brain itself, from other components of the brain such as blood vessels or membranes, and also from cells that came from other regions of the body and have been spread through the bloodstream to the brain. However, not all brain tumors are cancerous, yet may require an MRI scan and biopsy for an accurate diagnosis. These two methods are common methods for how to detect brain cancer. These noncancerous tumors are called benign tumors. The brain tumors that are comprised of cancer cells are referred to as malignant tumors. These malignant tumors contain incredibly rapidly growing and unusual looking cells known as cancer cells. Malignant tumors are likely to spread very fast and interfere with sections of the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord that contain healthy tissue. This healthy tissue is then affected regarding its space, blood vessels, and nutrients by the malignant tumors. Tumor cells require blood and nutrients to continue surviving. It is the cause of both malignant and benign brain tumors creating the problem of increased intracranial pressure within the brain. These problems often occur more frequently as a result of malignant brain tumors rather than that of benign brain tumors.1
While there are tumors in the brain that can spread in from other parts of the body, the majority of benign tumors in the brain do not spread to other regions of the body. Benign and malignant tumors vary in that the malignant tumors are likely to cause a greater amount of damage in their ability to come into the brain tissue and become fast-growing. The benign tumors usually will push upon adjacent brain tissue rather than populate it more. A benign tumor type is also less dangerous than a malignant tumor would be but can create problems in the brain, which could lead to surgery as a preventative measure. The problems that a benign tumor in the brain may cause would be less problematic than that of the malignant tumor.1
A brain aneurysm can often be confused with a brain tumor. These are not the same though, as a brain aneurysm is an area of the brain arteries or veins that is weak and can expand to form a ballooning or expansion of the vessel wall. It is rare to form any symptoms unless they start to leak blood into the surrounding tissue of the brain or bust. Aneurysms also may be formed at birth or form as a result of brain vessel damage. However, brain aneurysms are not cancerous and do not obtain cancer cells. The negative impact of a brain aneurysm includes its symptoms resembling the same symptoms of brain tumors. Tumors from the spinal cord are also likely to produce similar symptoms to that of brain tumors causing intracranial pressure.1
Types of Brain Tumors
Brain tumors are identified into two different types. These types include the category of primary tumors and secondary tumors, also called metastatic brain tumors.
Primary
Any tumor that forms in the brain, meaning through the formation of cells in the brain, is considered to be a primary brain tumor. A cell that goes through a process of changing and loses its characteristics will cause cancerous tumors to form. When the cell completes a process of changing, the cell then grows and multiplies in various strange methods. The unusual cells that grow are what create a mass of cells that are called a tumor. The reason that these brain tumors are called primary brain tumors is because they are formed within the brain itself.1
The most common types of primary brain tumors include gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, vestibular schwannomas, primary CNS lymphomas. Such primary tumors are identified based on the part of the brain or type of brain cell in which they originate.1
Secondary or Metastatic
The second type of tumor that forms in the brain is referred to as the metastatic brain tumor. A metastatic brain tumor forms from other parts of the body that carry cancerous cells into the brain. Examples of other regions of the body in which metastatic brain tumors may come include those cancerous cells that originated in the spinal region, lung, breast, kidney and malignant melanoma (skin cancer). Metastatic brain tumors form during a process called metastasis, which is when cancer cells leave their cancer tissue to then transfer through the lymph nodes or the bloodstreams towards the brain tissue. Metastasis is what can lead to cancerous tumors forming in the brain.1
The location of tumors within the brain depends on the blood flow within the brain. A large percentage of brain tumors will be located in the cerebrum, which is the largest area of the brain. More often, brain tumors will be located across the brain tissue and usually spread across more than one area in the brain, such as the brain stem.
Treating Brain Tumors
Now that we’ve answered the question of “how do brain tumors form?”, let’s explore the treatment options. Brain tumors can originate either from a cluster of abnormal cells that originated in the brain (primary brain cancer) or through a spread of cancerous cells to the brain tissue from other parts of the body (secondary brain cancer). Some tumors in the brain can be less dangerous such as benign tumors and other tumors in the brain can be more dangerous such as malignant tumors. A tumor’s location in the brain may vary based on the blood tissue within the brain and what region of the brain the tumor populates in. There also are not any specific links to a brain tumor developing or direct brain cancer causes, yet there are several forms of brain tumor treatment.
While a brain tumor can seem like an overwhelming illness to combat, know that you are not alone. Once confirmed by the MRI scan, there are a variety of resources available to treat in the situation of brain tumors. Your health and well-being should always come first, which is why our dedicated team of professionals at Immunity Therapy Center is considered to be a great resource for individuals and families who are undergoing brain tumor treatment. Most doctors and surgeons at various hospitals may recommend a plan that includes surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation, but that is not always necessary. The Immunity Therapy Center provides options to patients that are indeed less invasive and have fewer side effects. Cancer is a very real situation that patients should not fear or feel isolated by. Patients of the Immunity Therapy Center need a sense of support and the available resources that they are provided with at the facility do just that. Team members at the Immunity Therapy Center want to provide patients with a sense of security and safety so they feel most at ease during the treatment of their cancer.
The treatment program at Immunity Therapy Center is centered around recognizing and destroying cancer cells by the use of natural, noninvasive, and effective therapies to weaken the cancer cells. We provide a customized cancer treatment program for our patients, offering a combination of more than 15 alternative therapies and more than 20 alternative cancer treatment options. Each patient is allowed the ability to speak directly to their doctor and ask the appropriate questions and better understand the overall treatment approach. Even patients who were told they have no alternative options by other facilities were able to find success with the appropriate alternative therapy program at the Immunity Therapy Center, without having to rely on chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The natural therapy options provided at the Immunity Therapy Center are created to kill not only cancer cells, but to also increase the health of the rest of the body. This holistic approach promotes strengthened health to help the patient’s immune system better fight cancer on its own, leaving you feeling more empowered than ever.
Written By: Dr. David Alvarez
Dr. David Alvarez is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Xochicalco and Certified by the American Heart Association (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support).
Dr. Alvarez has been collaborating with Dr. Bautista as an Assistant Medical Director at the Immunity Therapy Center for over 6 years. He provides daily on site patient care and participates on the medical board on research and development of patient treatment plans and programs. Dr. Alvarez is a knowledgeable and compassionate Doctor committed to helping patients get to where they want to be health wise through a more holistic and comprehensive approach.
References:
- Davis, Charles Patrick. Brain Cancer.
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/brain_cancer/article_em.htm#brain_cancer_facts
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.