Is Your Brain Tumor Benign or Malignant?

If you have a brain tumor, you must have the greatest interest in the biology of the tumor. Brain tumors can be divided into two groups according to their biology, benign or malignant. The characteristics of each tumor are as follows.

Benign brain tumor:


1. It often arises from adjunctive brain tissues, such as meninges (a membrane that covers the brain) or cranial nerves.

2. It grows very slowly, over months or even years. Therefore, if you have any symptoms, the tumor size is relatively large.


3. It shows expansive growth. It compresses the surrounding neural structures and doesn't destroy them, thus the symptoms can be reversible.


4. It is often curable by a surgical excision.


5. It is rarely the cause of death.

Malignant brain tumor:


1. It often arises from inside the brain.

2. It grows very quickly, over weeks or even days.


3. It shows invasive growth. The tumor cells can infiltrate into the normal brain tissue.


4. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are essential after surgical removal.


5. Recurrence is always possible.

6. A cure of the disease is rare and it is often fatal. The malignant tumors are subdivided into two groups: primary and secondary. Primary brain tumors originate from the brain. Secondary brain tumors are metastatic brain tumors from systemic cancer, most commonly from lung cancers.