What is brain cancer?

Brain cancer is an overgrowth of cells in your brain that forms masses called tumours. Cancerous, or malignant, brain tumours tend to grow very quickly. They disrupt the way your body works

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of a brain tumour vary greatly and depend on the brain tumour’s size, location and rate of growth.

General signs and symptoms caused by brain tumours may include:

• New onset or change in pattern of headaches
• Headaches that gradually become more frequent and more severe
• Unexplained nausea or vomiting
• Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision
• Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg
• Difficulty with balance
• Speech difficulties
• Confusion in everyday matters
• Personality or behaviour changes
• Seizures, especially in someone who doesn’t have a history of seizures
• Hearing problems

Potential risk factors

In most people with primary brain tumours, the cause of the tumour is not clear. But doctors have identified some factors that may increase your risk of a brain tumour.

Risk factors include:

• Exposure to radiation – people who have been exposed to a type of radiation called ionizing radiation have an increased risk of brain tumour. Examples of ionizing radiation include radiation therapy used to treat cancer and radiation exposure caused by atomic bombs.
• Family history of brain tumours – a small portion of brain tumours occurs in people with a family history of brain tumours or a family history of genetic syndromes that increase the risk of brain tumours.

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