Brain Tumors: Cancerous, Noncancerous, Malignant, Benign - Essay Sample

Introduction

A brain tumor is a mass or collection of irregular cells in the brain. A skull responsible for enclosing the brain is so rigid; hence a growth inside it causes a lot of problems. A brain tumor can be cancerous or noncancerous where the cancerous are known as malignant and benign for the noncancerous. Development of a malignant or benign inside the skull inserts pressure which damages in the brain and can be life-threatening. Benign tumors are considered the primary category of tumors and originate from the brain. Secondary tumors are known as metastatic and occur when cancer cells from the brain spread to other parts of the body. According to Havaei et al. (2017), the tumor affects various body organs and cause them to stop functioning normally. Also, it influences the behavior of a person negatively at some point due to stress, medication, and treatment processes involved. In the United States, at least 700, 000 are living with a brain tumor (Havaei et al., 20117). Approximately 80, 000 Americans are diagnosed with a brain tumor every year. These figures are inclusive of both adults and children. This paper is an analysis of the role and functioning of the brain in the presence of the disorder and the effects caused by the brain tumor.

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The Role of the Brain in a Disorder

A disorder in the brain affects the normal functioning or process of the brain; thus, the brain is said to be dysfunctional. A brain is composed of three major parts which are cerebellum, cerebrum, and brainstem, as shown in figure 1 (Fox & King, 2018). Before looking at the role of the brain in disorder, it is important first to know the role of a brain in normal conditions. The brain is responsible for controlling the functions of the body. It is, therefore, the most crucial organ for the rest of the body organs to function appropriately. The brain collects and assembles messages from different sources, determine the meaning for us, and store information in our memories. Also, the brain controls the speech, memory, thoughts, legs and arms movement, and the function of other body organs located in the central nervous system. The brain is divided into several parts which include the cerebrum, parietal lobe, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporary lobe, brain stem, spinal cord, and cerebellum. When a brain disorder develops in the brain, it may affect all or some of the brain parts, causing their dysfunction. All these brain parts work in an interconnected way to enable the functioning of the body. There is a wide variety of brain disorders such as dementia, brain cancer, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, seizure, mental, stroke, Parkinson, and transient ischemic attack.

Figure 1

When the frontal lobe is damaged, it stops or becomes slow in the performance of its functions such as controlling of learned skills such as playing music, controlling intellectual processes such as speech, controlling facial expressions, and coordination of gestures. Specific impairment of the functioning of the frontal lobe is dependent on the damaged part. When the back part of the frontal lobe is impaired, paralysis or weakness could be experienced because it controls the voluntary movements. Each side of the brain regulates the movement of the contradictory side of the body; thus injury in the left hemisphere weakens the right part on the body, and the damage of the right hemisphere weakens the left side of the body (Fox & King, 2018). Upon the damaging of the inner part of the frontal lobe, people grow inattentive, unmotivated and apathetic. Their thinking capacity is also slowed hence become slow to answer questions. If the Broca area or the middle back part of the left frontal is injured, expressing yourself in words becomes a problem. Furthermore, in case the front part of the lobe is injured, an individual may suffer from many problems such as slowness in holding temporary information for processing, decreased speech fluency, lack of concern, interest or emotions, inattentiveness, slowed response to questions and lack of inhibition like inappropriate behavior.

According to Van den Heuvel and Sporns (2019), understanding which part of the brain is affected by the disorder is crucial because the two halves of the cerebrum do not function the same. The two halves are called cerebral hemisphere, and each performs specific functions. Sensation and movement of one hemisphere are controlled by the opposite hemisphere in the body. One hemisphere performs many functions hence said to be dominant of the opposite nondominant hemisphere. For example, the left hemisphere dictates language in persons, thus dominating language. Damage to this hemisphere could cause speech paralysis. However, some brain functions such as memory need the coordination of numerous parts of both hemispheres. Therefore, if both hemispheres are completely damaged, such functions are also lost. In cases where part of the hemisphere is damaged, such functions may be slowed or incomplete. Hence, certain brain dysfunction corresponds to the area of damage.

The Neuroanatomy, Neurotransmitter, and Hormones involved in Brain Tumor

Neuroanatomy

The Central Nervous System (CNS) is made up of the spinal cord and brain. The brain is divided into three segments which are the cerebellum, brain stem, and cerebrum. The cerebellum is the back part of the brain and is located at the back of the head. It is responsible for the coordination of voluntary movements to maintain balance, equilibrium, and posture. The brain stem is the brain base with organs such as medulla, midbrain, and the pons. Bain stem is accountable for conveying sensory messages like loud noise, eyes and mouth movement, consciousness, hunger, body temperatures, sneezing, involuntary muscle movements, swallowing, vomiting, and coughing, among others. The cerebrum is located in the front part of the brain with the left and right hemispheres. Its functions are solving problems, judgment, reasoning, hearing, touch, vision, emotions, learning, temperature, and initiation of movement. Each hemisphere is divided into four lobes which are frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital. Tumors located in the lobes are referred to as supratentorial while those in the brain stem or cerebellum are known as infratentorial. No matter where the tumor is located in the brain, it can cause seizures, difficulties in multi-tasking, and headaches. Spine cord originates in the brain, thus makes it part of the brain system. Spina tumors are named depending on where they are located, and regardless of their location, they could cause problems such as weakness, numbness, pain, and difficulty in coordination of the legs and arms.

Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers responsible for boosting, balancing, and carrying signals between the nerve cells, or neurons, and other body cells. Peraira et al. (2016) state that gliomas are the vast majority in the primary development of brain tumors, and they are derived from glial cells. These chemical messengers become cancerous when infected by tumors. These tumors grow from competent cells than in the brain and arise in the glial cells and the association of the meninges and vasculature. A neurotransmitter called N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG) grows in cancer and grows rapidly in considered higher grade cancers than in lower grade cancers. This neurotransmitter makes it possible for the tumor to progress to regression during therapies. Havaei et al. (2017) indicate that NAAG produces glutamate; a cancer cell chemical used to build block for cancer survival. The function of nerve fibers in the tumors was traditionally mechanical, used as paths for the migration of perineural invading cells. However, a recent study showed that the nervous system is functionally relevant, and promoting a set of networking mediators sort of being tumor contributes to tumor progression. For instance, immune response suppression in cancer is linked to the presence of neurotransmitters, changes in vessel density, and vascularization of tumors which in return affects numerous neurotransmitters. Furthermore, cells by cells responding to neurotransmitters, increase their migratory functions, and the presence of nerve fibers in the tumor influence a poor clinical outcome (Tsao et al., 2020). Indeed, the interaction of tumors and nervous system is reciprocal; hence the cancer cells secrete neurogenic factors alongside axon molecules leading to the driving and stimulation of ingrowth new nerve edges in the tumor.

Hormones in the Brain Tumor

Reproductive hormones are one of the factors associated with the development of the tumor in a brain. The use of hormones is associated with glioma risk. Hormonal exposure, especially in early life, increase the chances of glioma growth which is associated with brain tumors (Burman & Dekkers, 2017). Pituitary glands are located slightly behind the eyes and release pituitary hormones into the bloodstream. These types of hormones form cancerous tumors. These tumors, when released in the bloodstream, are spread to all sections of the body, comprising the brain. When these hormonal tumors reach the brain, they form glioma, a chemical reaction that boosts the growth of cancer cells. A higher risk of glioma is associated with menopause and menarche, while a reduced risk is shown in hormone replacement therapy. Most brain tumors caused by hormones affects many women after menopause. However, the use of oral contraceptives is said to reduce the risk of glioma and brain tumor-related to reproductive hormones.

Life-span Implications, Study and History of Brain Tumor

Life-span Implications

The life span of brain tumor patients is dependent on some factors such as age, level of the tumor, and how an individual responds to treatment. In children, a good number survive for five years after the treatment of either malignant or benign tumor. Indeed, 3 out of four children treated from the brain tumor live for more than five years. Children who respond positively to treatment falls in the category of those likely to live for more than five years. However, those that do not respond well to treatment may die before the end of treatment or shortly after the treatment. Most children who suffer from a brain tumor caused by glioma and may end up dying before the end of treatment. Barrientos et al. (2019) state that the average life expectancy of a patient with a brain tumor is five years. However, dependent on whether the tumor is malignant or benign, 36% of these people live within the range of five years, while only 31% live within the range of ten years.

How Brain Tumor is Studied

Diagnosing a person with a brain tumor is involving and is tests are recommended depending on various symptoms such as seizures, short-term memory loss, poor coordination, vision issues, and recurrent headaches. However, the accuracy of the information given by the patient is examined before recommending tests. Depending on where one seeks for medical checkup, the diagnosis could be more complicated and requires specialists. An MRI whereby the brain is scanned as the first step (Zeinalkhani, Jamaat & Rostami, 2018). A biopsy then follows where a pathologist is brought in to help with the identification of the type of brain tumor. The biopsy blood test detects DNA in the brain tumors known as diffuse midline gliomas. This blood test is also used to test and identify changes in molecules in children with highly lethal tumors. Also, a method that combines artificial intelligence alongside the application of advanced imaging technology is used to diagnose brain tumors under three minutes of surgery accurately. This method can distinguish healthy tissues from the tumor.

History of Brain Tumor

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