About Us | Privacy | Site Map
Font Size
A
A
A


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 the consequence of abnormal growths of cells in the brain. Brain cancers can arise from primary brain cells, from the cells that form other brain components (for example, membranes, blood vessels), or from the growth of cancer cells from other organs that have spread to the brain by the bloodstream (metastatic brain cancer).

  • Although many growths in the brain are popularly called brain tumors, not all brain tumors are cancerous. 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.) This is especially a problem in the brain, as the added growth within the closed confines of the skull can lead to an increase in intracranial pressure or the distortion of surrounding vital structures, causing their malfunction.


  • Tumors that do not grow aggressively are called benign. Almost all tumors that begin in the brain do not spread to other parts of the body. The major differences between benign and malignant tumors is that malignant tumors can invade the brain tissues and grow rapidly.


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

Primary brain tumors

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

  • Cancers occur when one type of cell transforms and loses 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, primary CNS lymphomas, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (medulloblastomas). The term glioma is an expansive one since it includes numerous subtypes, including astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas, and choroid plexus papillomas.


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

Brain tumors vary in their growth rate and ability to cause symptoms. The cells in fast growing, aggressive tumors usually appear abnormal microscopically. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) uses a grading system to classify tumors. The NCI lists the following grades:

  • Grade I: The tissue is benign. The cells look nearly like normal brain cells, and cell growth is slow.


  • Grade II: The tissue is malignant. The cells look less like normal cells than do the cells in a grade I tumor.


  • Grade III: The malignant tissue has cells that look very different from normal cells. The abnormal cells are actively growing. These cells are termed anaplastic.


  • Grade IV: The malignant tissue has cells that look most abnormal and tend to grow very fast.

Metastatic brain tumors

Metastatic brain tumors are made of cancerous cells that spread through the bloodstream from a tumor located elsewhere in the body. The most common cancers that spread to the brain are those arising from the lung, breast, and kidney as well as malignant melanoma. The cells spread to the brain from another tumor in a process called metastasis. The process metastasis occurs when cancer cells leave the primary cancer tissue and enter either the lymphatic system to reach the blood or the bloodstream directly. These cancer cells eventually reach the brain tissue through the bloodstream where they develop into tumors.

Metastatic brain tumors are the most common type of tumor found in the brain and are much more common than primary brain tumors. Metastatic tumors are usually named after the type of tissue from which the original cancer cells arose (for example, metastatic lung or breast cancer). Brain blood flow usually determines where the metastatic cancer cells will lodge in the brain; about 85% locate in the cerebrum (the largest portion of the brain, located in the upper part of the skull cavity). Unfortunately, the majority of metastatic brain tumors occur at more than one site in the brain tissue.

In the United States, brain tumors are estimated to develop in about 22,000 people in 2009.


Viewer Comments & Reviews

Brain Cancer - Symptoms at Onset of Disease

The eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:

The symptoms of brain cancer can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?

Anonymously share your comment to help others. Viewer Comments FAQs
See 17 Viewer Comments & Reviews

Submit Your Review


Privacy Policy

Women's Health

Find out what women really need.


Brain Cancer

Cancer: What You Need to Know »

When the Diagnosis Is Cancer

The news comes like a sledgehammer into the stomach: "I’m sorry to tell you, but you have cancer."

Every year, a million Americans are devastated by news of cancer or another dreaded disease. What soon follows is an avalanche, a tidal wave of emotions: fear, anger, bewilderment, indecision, and the need to reach out to a family member or a loved one for support and encouragement.

Quite often, a person's first reaction is to think, "No way, not me. I’m a good person," as if the cancer resulted as a punishment for unresolved issues. Then comes an overwhelming need to get information. And that is probably why you are reading this.

You need to become the best and smartest patient your doctor ever had, simply because you need to be.

For most people, the cancer can be cured or controlled by surgery and, in some cases, by combinations of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Never before has the outlook for c...

Read the Cancer: What You Need to Know article »



Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine

Brain, Metastases »

Metastasis to the brain is the most feared complication of systemic cancer and the most common intracranial tumor in adults.

Read More on eMedicine »

Featured Topics

Topics Related to Brain Cancer

Medical Dictionary


or A-Z List
Find a Local Pharmacy: including 24 hour pharmacies

Find a Local
Pharmacy
on RxList.com

including
24 hour
pharmacies