Brain Tumors

1
Brain Tumors

• Neurons or Glial cells?

2
Neurons

• Rarely, if ever responsible for tumors
• Dont reproduce

3
Gliomas arise from glial cells

• Different types of gliomas
• Astrocytic tumors include astrocytomas (less
  malignant), anaplastic astrocytomas, and
  glioblastomas (most malignant)
• Oligodendroglial tumors vary in malignancy
• Glioblastomas are the most aggressive type of
  primary brain tumor

4
Meningiomas

• Arise from arachnoidal cells
• One of three meniges that compose membrane that
  covers brain and spinal cord. However, these
  tumors are mostly (90) benign

5
Level of severity

• Tumors are graded on multiple factors
• Growth rate
• Blood supply
• Malignancy
• Border distinctness
• The ultimate determining factor in classifying
  tumors is the cell of highest malignancy, even if
  the overall composition of the tumor is of lesser
  malignancy.

6
Diagnosis

• Balance, vision, hearing, and reflex tests are
  conducted to help diagnose brain tumors
• MRIs used with contrast dye are subsequently
  performed to find tumors and detect their
  locations.

7
Treatment

• Open cranial surgery
• Radiosurgery
• Many beams of targeted radiation focus on the
  tumor from all different directions (one session
  limit).
• Radiotherapy (multi-session)
• Chemotherapy

8
What causes a tumor?

• We dont know yet
• But
• 5 arise from genetic inheritance (usually extra
  copies chromosome 7)
• Environment also plays a role

9
Bibliography

• http//www.willamette.edu/gorr/classes/cs449/figs
  /neurons.jpg
• http//www.mayoclinic.org/metastatic-brain-tumors/
  
• http//www.irsa.org/metastatic_tumors.html
• http//www.irsa.org/astrocytoma.html
• http//www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/00
  7222.htm
• http//psychology.about.com/od/biopsychology/f/neu
  ron01.htm
• http//encefalus.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/ne
  uron_2.jpg
• http//sakshat.amrita.ac.in/VirtualLab/images/neur
  on.png
• http//tuberose.com/Graphics/brain20tumor.jpeg
• http//www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/200
  9/04/neurons1.jpg