Different Types of Brain Cancer
There are many different types of
brain cancer. It may take years for
tumors to grow and cause symptoms. Therefore, many people with different types of brain cancer often do not know that they have a disease. There are many types of brain tumors, which are based on the cells in which the tumors first grow. Of them, astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme are the most common types in adults, and brainstem glioma and medulloblastoma are the most common in children. Astrocytoma starts in the brainstem, spinal cord, white matter of the cerebrum, or the cerebellum. Glioblastoma multiforme begins in glial cells in the cerebrum. Brainstem glioma starts in the medulla, midbrain, or pons, while choroid plexus papilloma starts in the ventricles. Also among the different types of brain cancer is ependymoma, which first appears in the membrane of the ventricles and in part of the spine. Medulloblastoma initially appears in the cerebellum and the fourth cerebral ventricle—it sometimes reaches the meninges, as well. Acoustic neuroma begins in the vestibulocochlear nerve, and lymphoma begins in the lymphocytes (many AIDS patients develop it—you can imagine the seriousness of the different types of brain cancer). Meningioma first appears in the meninges, and the rare pineal gland tumor begins in the pineal gland, while pituitary adenoma begins on the pituitary gland surface and schwannoma in the myelin sheath cover of neurons. It is critical that people educate themselves on the different types of brain cancer. Due to the importance and sensitivity of the brain, attention must be given to this disease.
