December 1, 2008

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Brain Cancer

Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before a Biopsy

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Brain cancer symptoms include headache, weakness, seizures, clumsiness, and difficulty walkingA biopsy is a sample of tissue removed by your doctor to make a precise diagnosis. Biopsy procedures can range from a simple sampling of skin under local anesthesia to surgical opening of the chest wall to remove a portion of lung tissue. Biopsies may also be obtained during diagnostic procedures such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, and others. Sometimes doctors perform biopsies using a CAT scan or other radiological imaging techniques to help identify the exact area to be sampled and avoid injury to surrounding organs. There are several types of biopsies.

Excisional biopsy. If your doctor finds an area of interest or a suspicious finding (for example, an enlarged nevus, or mole), often an excisional biopsy is performed to remove the area in question in its entirety during the biopsy.

Incisional biopsy. An incisional biopsy refers to removal of only a portion of the area of interest (for example, sampling of a small fragment of tissue from a larger breast lump).

Fine needle biopsy. A fine needle biopsy is used to remove cells or fluid by suctioning through a long, thin needle.

Core needle biopsy. During a core needle biopsy, the doctor inserts a special needle through a skin incision that removes a very thin, cylindrical piece of tissue.

The following questions can help guide your discussions with your doctor concerning a biopsy (print these and take them with you to your doctor's visit):

Read the rest of questions to ask your doctor about biopsy »

Brain Cancer Overview

Cancers of the brain are abnormal growths of cells in the brain.

  • Although such growths are popularly called brain tumors, not all brain tumors are cancer. Cancer is a term reserved for malignant tumors.

  • Malignant tumors grow and spread aggressively, overpowering healthy cells by taking their space, blood, and nutrients. (Like all cells of the body, tumor cells need blood and nutrients to survive.)

  • Tumors that do not spread aggressively are called benign.

  • In general, a benign tumor is less serious than a malignant tumor. But a benign tumor can still cause many problems in the brain.

Primary tumors

The brain is made up of many different types of cells.

  • Some brain cancers occur when one type of cell transforms from its normal characteristics. Once transformed, the cells grow and multiply in abnormal ways.

  • As these abnormal cells grow, they become a mass of cells, or tumor.

  • Brain tumors that result from this transformation and abnormal growth of brain cells are called primary brain tumors because they originate in the brain.

  • The most common primary brain tumors are gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, vestibular schwannomas, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (medulloblastomas). The term glioma includes astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas, and choroid plexus papillomas.

  • Most of these primary tumors are named after the part of the brain or the type of brain cell from which they arise.

Metastatic brain tumors

Metastatic brain tumors are made of cancerous cells from a tumor elsewhere in the body. The cells spread to the brain from another tumor in a process called metastasis. About 25% of tumors elsewhere in the body metastasize to the brain.

In the United States, brain tumors affect about one of every 5,000 people.




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