Brain Tumours

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This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Content is sourced from third parties, and we do not guarantee accuracy or accept any liability for its use. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical guidance.

What are Brain Tumours?

Brain tumours are abnormal growths in the brain or central nervous system (CNS, including spinal cord), classified as benign (non-cancerous, slow-growing) or malignant (cancerous, invasive). Primary types include gliomas (50-60%, e.g., astrocytoma, glioblastoma, oligodendroglioma), meningiomas (20-30%, often benign), ependymomas, medulloblastomas (common in children), pituitary tumours, pineal tumours, germ cell tumours, and craniopharyngiomas. In 2025, approximately 24,000 US adults and 4,000 children are diagnosed annually, with gliomas (particularly glioblastoma, grade IV) being the most aggressive and common malignant type.

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on tumour location, size, and growth rate. Brain tumors cause headaches (often worse in the morning, relieved by vomiting), seizures (focal or generalized), visual disturbances (blurred vision, double vision, field loss), hearing loss, speech difficulties, cognitive decline (memory loss, confusion, personality changes), motor deficits (weakness, paralysis), balance/coordination issues, and nausea/vomiting due to increased intracranial pressure. Spinal cord tumours cause back pain, limb weakness/numbness, sensory loss, and bowel/bladder dysfunction. Symptoms may mimic stroke or neurodegenerative diseases, necessitating imaging.

Causes

Most causes are unknown, but risk factors include ionizing radiation exposure (e.g., prior cancer therapy), genetic syndromes (neurofibromatosis types 1/2, Li-Fraumeni, tuberous sclerosis, von Hippel-Lindau), and immunosuppression (e.g., HIV, organ transplants). Family history increases risk for meningiomas and gliomas (1-5% of cases). No strong lifestyle links exist, though obesity may contribute to meningiomas. In 2025, molecular studies highlight driver mutations (IDH1/2 for low-grade gliomas, EGFR/TERT for glioblastoma) and tumour microenvironment (e.g., immune suppression) as key progression factors.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis involves a neurological exam assessing mental status, cranial nerves, motor/sensory function, coordination, and reflexes. Imaging includes MRI with gadolinium (gold standard for brain/spinal tumours), CT for calcified lesions, and PET/SPECT for metabolic activity. Biopsy (stereotactic or open) confirms tumour type and WHO grade (I-IV). Molecular testing for IDH, MGMT methylation, 1p/19q codeletion, and EGFR amplification guides prognosis and therapy. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis detects tumour markers in ependymomas or germ cell tumours. In 2025, AI-enhanced neuroimaging improves diagnostic accuracy by 20%, and CSF-based liquid biopsies detect ctDNA for non-invasive monitoring.

Treatment

Low-grade tumours (grade I-II, e.g., pilocytic astrocytoma, meningioma) may require active surveillance if asymptomatic, or maximal safe surgical resection for symptomatic cases, often curative. High-grade tumours (grade III-IV, e.g., glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma) use surgery followed by radiation (conformal, intensity-modulated, or stereotactic radiosurgery) and chemotherapy (temozolomide for gliomas, with MGMT methylation predicting response). Tumour-treating fields (TTFields, alternating electric fields) extend glioblastoma survival by 4-6 months. Targeted therapies (e.g., IDH inhibitors like vorasidenib, bevacizumab for VEGF) and immunotherapy (e.g., DCVax-L, checkpoint inhibitors) achieve 20-30% response in trials. In 2025, hyperthermia, radiosensitizers, and CAR-T therapies enhance treatment efficacy, particularly for recurrent glioblastoma.

Future Outlook

In 2025, 5-year survival varies: 60-80% for low-grade tumours (e.g., grade I meningioma, pilocytic astrocytoma), 30% for grade III (anaplastic astrocytoma), and 5-10% for glioblastoma. Advances in TTFields, IDH inhibitors, and immunotherapy extend glioblastoma survival to 18-24 months in optimal cases. Research focuses on personalized vaccines, oncolytic viruses, and AI-driven surgical precision (reducing residual tumour by 15%). By 2030, CAR-T therapies, gene editing, and early detection could increase low-grade survival to 90% and glioblastoma to 20%, with emphasis on overcoming tumour heterogeneity and immune evasion.

Sources

The information for brain tumors is sourced from the National Cancer Institute’s “Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment (PDQ®)” for comprehensive details on understanding, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment; Virginia Commonwealth University’s “We’re aiming for a cure: Massey and VIMM researchers achieve potential breakthrough in brain cancer treatment” for bioengineered model advancements; the National Brain Tumor Society’s “New Brain Tumor Clinical Trials: November 2024 – June 2025” for ongoing trial updates; ASCO’s “ASCO 2025: Dual-target CAR T-cell therapy slows growth of aggressive brain cancer” for CAR-T therapy insights; and Mayo Clinic’s “Breakthrough in treatment approach showing promise in the fight against glioblastoma” for innovative therapeutic strategies.