Brain_Tumors

Brain Tumors The American Cancer Society estimates that 18,300 Americans will be diagnosed with malignant brain, spinal cord and other nervous system tumors in 2003. Approximately 13,100 people in the United States will die from brain, spinal cord, and other nervous system tumors in 2003. Brain and spinal cord tumors occur most often in children younger than 10 years of age, whereas in adults, these tumors are most common in the third to fifth decades of life. Brain tumors form because, the body normally forms new cells only when they are needed to replace old or damaged ones. If something happens to disturb this controlled process, abnormal or excessive cells are produced. When this occurs a tumor is developed. This is known as cancer. When a tumor is developed on the brain, it is called a brain tumor or brain cancer. Brain tumors can be benign or malignant (benign being not cancerous and malignant being cancerous). Both types can be deadly when dealing with the brain. Benign brain tumors consist of very slow growing cells. They have distinct borders and rarely spread to other locations. When viewed under a microscope, the cells of a benign tumor have an almost normal appearance. Even brain, tumors, tumor, cancer, cells, benign, cause, spread, primary, factors, symptoms, radiation, node, metastasis, malignant, lymph, location, involvement, death, body, being, age, unknown, types, type, treatment, tissues, system, surgical, surgery, spinal, size/extent, second, removal, rarely