Table of contents:
- The cause of brain cancer
- Various risk factors that may be the cause of brain cancer
- 1. Increasing age
- 2. Male gender
- 3. High level radiation exposure
- 4. Certain genetic disorders or syndromes
- 5. Weak immune system
- 6. Chemical exposure
When you are diagnosed with brain cancer, you will likely feel shocked and sad. In addition to the annoying symptoms of brain cancer, this condition also requires you to undergo time-consuming and costly treatment. Therefore, you should prevent brain cancer by avoiding the causes and risk factors that can trigger this disease. Here's the review for you.
The cause of brain cancer
Brain cancer is a condition when a malignant tumor appears in a part of the brain. This disease can occur when a tumor grows and develops in a part of the brain (primary brain cancer) or grows in another part of the body and spreads to the brain (secondary brain cancer).
In primary brain cancer, tumors generally develop in the glial cells, which surround and assist nerve cells. These glial cells include astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and other cell types. Meanwhile, in secondary brain cancer, brain tumors can form due to spread of cancer in other parts of the body, such as the breast, lung, kidney, colon, and skin.
The main cause of the growth and development of cancer or tumors in the brain is not fully known. However, experts argue, brain cancer is generally caused by changes in normal cells in the brain into tumor cells. This change occurs because of a mutation in the DNA in these cells.
Normally, cells grow, develop, then die at a time and are replaced by new cells. However, mutations in DNA in cells cause cells to survive and develop uncontrollably, causing tumors in the brain.
These DNA mutations in brain cells can be passed from parent to child. However, in most cases of brain cancer, DNA mutations occur at some time in a person's life.
Apart from heredity, several factors are also said to increase a person's risk of developing brain cancer. These factors are generally related to certain environmental or medical conditions.
Various risk factors that may be the cause of brain cancer
Brain cancer can happen to anyone. However, this disease often appears in people with certain factors. Factors that can increase a person's risk of developing brain cancer are:
1. Increasing age
Brain cancer is more common in elderly people or those aged 65 years or older. Therefore, the risk of this disease increases with age.
However, certain types of malignant brain tumors, namely medulloblastoma, are more common in children. Adults have a very low risk of developing this type of tumor.
2. Male gender
Brain cancer is more common in people with male sex than female. Therefore, the risk of this disease is higher in men. However, there are also certain types of brain tumors that are more common in women.
3. High level radiation exposure
Another factor that may cause brain cancer is exposure to high levels of radiation. This radiation exposure is generally obtained from radiation therapy or other treatments used to treat certain diseases, such as cancer.
Therefore, if you have had radiation therapy, especially to the head or neck, to treat other cancers, you may be at risk of developing cancer or brain tumors in the future.
Reporting from the American Cancer Society, this disease usually appears about 10 or 15 years after radiation therapy is carried out. However, brain cancer may also not appear after radiation therapy is carried out.
4. Certain genetic disorders or syndromes
Most cases of brain cancer do not run in families. However, in rare cases, a brain tumor or cancer can occur in a person with certain genetic disorders or syndromes, which may run in the family. Some genetic disorders or syndromes that may cause or trigger brain cancer, namely:
- Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) : This condition is also called von Recklinghausen disease. This disorder can be passed on from parents, but genetic changes to NF1 can also occur before birth in someone with parents without the condition.
- Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2): Just like NF1, the genetic changes in this disorder can also be passed down from the parents, but can also occur before birth in parents who do not have the condition.
- Tuberous sclerosis: This condition is often associated with a malignant type of brain tumor, astrocytoma. This disorder can run in families, but mostly develops in someone without a family history of the same disease.
- Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome: A person with this disorder is at risk of developing a malignant tumor in the brain or other parts of the body. This disorder also develops before birth in parents without a history of the disease.
- Li-Fraumeni Syndrome: A person with this condition is very at risk of developing glioma brain cancer or other types of cancer, such as breast cancer, leukemia, and others.
- Turcot Syndrome: This syndrome is generally associated with medulloblastomas brain tumors or other types of glioma brain cancer.
5. Weak immune system
Another risk factor that may cause brain cancer is having a weak immune system, such as people with HIV. People with this condition are at risk of developing lymphoma in the brain, which is cancer that develops in the lymphocytes or white blood cells that fight various infections or diseases.
6. Chemical exposure
Exposure to certain industrial chemicals or solvents, such as vinyl chloride, aromatic hydrocarbons, triazene, and N-nitroso compounds, has also been linked to risk factors for brain cancer. However, this factor is still being debated.
Several studies have found a link between exposure to these chemicals with the cause of brain tumors or cancer, but several other studies have found no link between the two.
Several studies have also found that cases of brain cancer are more common in individuals who work in oil refineries, rubber factories, and manufacturing drugs, which are related to chemicals or industrial solvents mentioned above.
The factors above may cause brain cancer. However, having one or more of the risk factors above does not mean that you will definitely get this disease. On the other hand, someone who has brain cancer may have unknown risk factors.
Consult your doctor if you have one or more of the risk factors above and are worried about brain cancer in the future. The doctor will provide more clear information about the possibility of the disease.
