Will a brain tumor show up in a blood test?
Brain tumors are masses of abnormal cells in your brain. Your skull, which surrounds your brain, is a very hard and closed structure. Any growth within such a limited space can cause major problems. Brain tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). When a benign tumor or malignant tumors grow, they can cause the pressure inside the skull to increase, resulting in brain damage that can be life-threatening.
Brain tumors are categorized as primary or secondary. A primary brain tumor arises directly from cells in your brain. Most primary brain tumors are benign. A secondary brain tumor, also known as a metastatic brain tumor, occurs when a cancerous cell from another cancerous organ in your body metastasizes to your brain.
What Causes Brain Tumor?
Primary brain tumors form when errors (mutations) begin to accumulate in the DNA of normal brain cells. These mutations allow cells to grow and divide at uncontrolled rates and continue to live even when they should die. A tumor is formed from abnormal cells as a result of mutations. Secondary brain tumors are formed by the metastasis of a tumor formed in another region to the brain.
