Causes of Brain cancer

List of causes of Brain cancer

Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Brain cancer) that could possibly cause Brain cancer includes:

• Neurofibromatosis
• Tuberous sclerosis
• Tuberculosis
• Syphilis
• Neurofibromatosis, type 4, of Riccardi - central nervous system tumors
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome - brain tumor
• Turcot syndrome - central nervous system tumors
• Renal-hepatic-pancreatic dysplasia - Dandy Walker cyst - brain cyst
• Melanoma - astrocytoma syndrome - brain tumor
• Spondylocostal dysostosis, Dandy-Walker - brain cyst
• Malignant astrocytoma - brain tumor
• Chromosome 15q duplication syndrome - brain cysts
• Acrocallosal Syndrome (Schinzel Type) - congenital brain cysts
• Tuberous sclerosis, type 1 - brain nodules
• Dandy Walker syndrome recessive form - brain cyst
• Cleft upper lip, median - cutaneous polyps - central nervous system tumors
• Neurofibromatosis type 3A - central nervous system tumors
• Cysticercosis - brain cysts
• Neurofibromatosis type 3B - central nervous system tumors
• Tibia absent - polydactyly - arachnoid cyst - brain cyst
• Medulloblastoma - brain tumor
• HIV patients
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia
• Retinoblastoma
• Inherited diseases
• Lymphoma
• Individual cell mutations
• Metastases
• Past history of irradiation
• Leukaemia
• Genetic
• Many tumor or cancer types can spread to the brain, the most common being lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, certain sarcomas, testicular and germ cell tumors, and a number of others. Some types of cancers only spread to the brain infrequently, such as colon cancer, or very rarely, such as prostate cancer. Brain tumors can directly destroy brain cells, or they may indirectly damage cells by producing inflammation, compressing other parts of the brain as the tumor grows, inducing brain swelling, and causing increased pressure within the skull

Longer list of causes of Brain symptoms: see full list of causes for Brain symptoms

Brain cancer as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Brain cancer as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Brain cancer. Our database lists the following as having Brain cancer as a complication of that condition:

• Esophagus Cancer
• Lung cancer
• Melanoma
• PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome
• Tuberous sclerosis

Brain cancer as a symptom:

Conditions listing Brain cancer as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Brain cancer. Our database lists the following as having Brain cancer as a symptom of that condition:

• Li-Fraumeni syndrome
• Malignant astrocytoma
• Medulloblastoma
• Melanoma - astrocytoma syndrome
• Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF-1)
• Neurofibromatosis-1
• Syphilis

Medical news summaries relating to Brain cancer:

The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Brain cancer:

• Asthma gene variants linked with brain cancer
• Asthma genes prevent against brain cancer
• Brain cancer origin found
• Chemical signals involved in cancer causes found
• Symptoms of old age may be similar to many other treatable conditions
• More news »

Related information on causes of Brain cancer:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Brain cancer may be found in:

• Risk factors for Brain cancer
• Contagiousness for Brain cancer
• Hidden causes of Brain cancer

Causes of Brain cancer: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Brain cancer.

Introduction: Malignant Neoplasms: What causes cancer?
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Researchers have found that cancer develops from mutations within the genes of cells. Thus, cancer is a genetic disease. Cancer susceptibility genes are of two types. Some are oncogenes, which activate cell division and influence embryonic development, and some are tumor suppressor genes, which halt cell division.

These genes are typically found in normal human cells, but certain kinds of mutations may transform the normal cells. Inherited defects may cause a genetic mutation, whereas exposure to a carcinogen may cause an acquired mutation. Current evidence indicates that carcinogenesis results from a complex interaction of carcinogens and accumulated mutations in several genes.

In animal studies of the ability of viruses to transform cells, some human viruses exhibit carcinogenic potential. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus, the cause of infectious mononucleosis, has been linked to Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal cancer.

High-frequency radiation, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, damages the genetic material known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), possibly inducing genetically transferable abnormalities. Other factors, such as a person's tissue type and hormonal status, interact to potentiate radiation's carcinogenic effect. Examples of substances that may damage DNA and induce carcinogenesis include:

❑alkylating agents — leukemia

❑aromatic hydrocarbons and benzopyrene (from polluted air) — lung cancer

❑asbestos — mesothelioma of the lung

❑tobacco — cancer of the lung, oral cavity and upper airways, esophagus, pancreas, kidneys, and bladder

❑vinyl chloride — angiosarcoma of the liver.

Diet has also been implicated, especially in the development of GI cancer as a result of a high animal fat diet. Additives composed of nitrates and certain methods of food preparation — particularly charbroiling — are also recognized factors.

The role of hormones in carcinogenesis is still controversial, but it seems that excessive use of some hormones, especially estrogen, produces cancer in animals. Also, the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol causes vaginal cancer in some daughters of women who were treated with it. It's unclear, however, whether changes in human hormonal balance retard or stimulate cancer development.

Some forms of cancer and precancerous lesions result from genetic predisposition either directly (as in Wilms' tumor and retinoblastoma) or indirectly (in association with inherited conditions such as Down syndrome or immunodeficiency diseases). Expressed as autosomal recessive, X-linked, or autosomal dominant disorders, their common characteristics include:

❑early onset of malignant disease

❑increased incidence of bilateral cancer in paired organs (breasts, adrenal glands, kidneys, and eighth cranial nerve [acoustic neuroma])

❑increased incidence of multiple primary malignancies in nonpaired organs

❑abnormal chromosome complement in tumor cells.

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Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Malignant brain tumors: Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The cause of most brain tumors is unknown, but exposure to ionizing radiation is a known environmental risk. Additionally, most malignant tumors of the brain are of metastatic origin; 20% to 40% of patients with cancer develop brain metastasis.

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Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Malignant spinal neoplasms: Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Primary tumors of the spinal cord may be extramedullary (occurring outside the spinal cord) or intramedullary (occurring within the cord itself). Extramedullary tumors may be intradural (meningiomas and schwannomas), which account for 60% of all primary malignant spinal cord neoplasms, or extradural (metastatic tumors from breasts, lungs, prostate, leukemia, or lymphomas), which account for 25% of these malignant neoplasms.

Intramedullary tumors, or gliomas (astrocytomas or ependymomas), are comparatively rare, accounting for only about 10%. In children, they're low-grade astrocytomas.

Spinal cord tumors are rare compared with intracranial tumors (ratio of 1:4). They occur equally in men and women, with the exception of meningiomas, which occur mostly in women. Spinal cord tumors can occur anywhere along the length of the cord or its roots.

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Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Brain tumors, malignant: Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)

Some tumors are congenital, whereas others are hereditary. The cause of most brain tumors is unknown.

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Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003