Brain tumor warning signs often appear suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere. A brain tumor is the result of uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the brain. A tumor can be benign, meaning it is non-cancerous, or malignant, meaning it is cancerous and could spread. Malignant brain tumors are dangerous and often life threatening. Even a benign tumor can be life-threatening, depending on where it grows.

Types of Brain Tumors
Brain tumors fall into one of two categories: primary metastatic or secondary metastatic.

A primary metastatic tumor originates in the brain itself or very near the brain, usually in an area such as the pineal gland, pituitary gland or cranial nerves. Some examples of metastatic brain tumors are medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, and neuroma.

A secondary brain tumor is caused by a metastatic cancer that originates in another area of the body that spreads to the brain. Examples of cancers that often spread to the brain are colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and kidney cancer.

Having a family history of brain tumors, or working in a field with a high exposure to radiation or chemicals increases the risk of developing a brain tumor.

Warning Signs of a Tumor
Brain tumor warning signs will vary in severity depending on where the tumor is located, the size of the tumor and the type of tumor. For example, a tumor located in the frontal lobe may cause symptoms such as changes in personality or weakness on one side of the body, while a tumor on the parietal lobe causes difficulty in understanding or expressing words, reading or writing and a partial loss of motor skills.

It is important to see your doctor if you have is any of the following warning signs:

• Seizures, without a previous history of seizures
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• A persistent headache that worsens with activity
• Muscle weakness, particularly on one side of body
• Blurred vision, double vision or loss of vision
• Behavioral changes
• Numbness or tingling in extremities
• Difficulty with coordination and balance
• Lethargy
• Difficulty speaking
• Difficulty swallowing
• Memory loss
• Increased head size, only in infants

Surgery remains one of the most common brain tumor treatments, although it comes with considerable risks. Chemotherapy is not effective at destroying brain tumors. Radiation can be used in some cases to shrink and destroy tumors, but this is also a risky treatment because of the chance of damage to healthy brain cells.