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Brain cancer
Brain cancers can occur at any age. Although they become more common after the age of 50 they can occur in relatively young adults and are one of the most common cancers found in children. They are slightly more common in males than in females. The cause(s) of brain cancer are unknown at present. As a tumour grows inside the skull it presses on the surrounding brain tissues creating pressure. Both benign and malignant tumours may cause the brain around them to swell. The symptoms vary widely and depend on what part of the brain the tumour is pressing on. Sometimes when a tumour develops slowly, the symptoms develop so gradually that they are scarcely noticed.
Some malignant brain tumours grow and spread rapidly whilst others may develop slowly over a number of years. In many people brain tumours recur. The outlook for brain tumours varies widely, and depends on age, the type of tumour, how much of the tumour can be removed, and how well it responds to radiotherapy or [in children] chemotherapy. If a benign tumour is completely removed, total cure is likely.
Find out more
Read Brain cancer
See also the Cancer care and support section
Cancer Institute NSW - a set of factsheets about managing changes to behaviour and thinking that may happen because of a brain tumour. They cover topics from Anger Management to Memory loss and give detailed descriptions, real-life case studies, key facts and strategies.
Brainlife - references to latest published authorative resources for medical personnel and patients
The brain is largely made up of nerve cells, or neurones. We are born with about 40 billion of them, which must last a lifetime because, unlike all the other cells in the body, nerve cells do not regenerate. The nerve cells communicate with each other and with other parts of the body by sending messages [or nerve impulses, which are actually very small electric currents] through a complex system of nerve pathways. The brain contains four cavities filled with fluid called cerebro-spinal fluid. The fluid which is made in these cavities flows through narrow passages between the cavities and the surface of the brain. Occasionally this flow can be blocked by a brain cancer; the fluid is dammed up in the brain, and as more fluid is made, the pressure rises. This is called hydrocephalus and it is common in children with brain cancers.  Top |
Info & support 
The average brain weighs about one and a half kilograms and is surrounded and protected by the skull. As the body’s control centre the brain governs how the body functions. Centres within the brain control mechanical things such as body movement, circulation of the blood and breathing. There are also areas which enable us to feel sensations such as pleasure or pain. The brain controls speech, memory, learning and body movements. It is the source of our behaviour, emotional responses and personality. The brain has the central control for the release of hormones in the body.