Brain Cancer

When cells repdroduce at an uncontrollable rate, they tend to mass together into a formation called a tumour. If the cells within this tumour begin to spread to other tissue, the tumour is considered a malignant, or cancerous, tumour.

There are two types of cancerous brain tumours: primary and secondary. Primary brain tumours begin in the brain and include Gilomas (types of tumors from glial cells) and Meningiomas (tumors beginning in the layer of tissue that surrounds the brain). Secondary brain tumours, also called metastatic brain tumours, are tumours that began in another region of the body, then spread (metasized) to the brain.

A CT scan can help the doctor examine the malignant tumour’s size, location, and potential of spreading. CT scans can also help the doctor guide a biopsy into the brain to obtain a tissue sample. All of this information will help the doctor decide on a further course of action, which may include surgery and/or radiation therapy.