Causes of Brain Tumors – Brain Tumor Research

What are the causes of brain tumors?

No single, clear cause has been identified for primary brain tumors (those that originate in the brain rather than metastasizing from another cancer, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, or melanoma).

Some risk factors have been identified, but because each patient’s health history is complex and unique, scientists still cannot answer the basic question of why brain tumors develop. As with all tumors and cancers, mutations in a cell’s DNA can cause abnormal growth (uncontrolled division), and as mutations accumulate further, tumors can invade the surrounding brain, but what causes these mutations can vary from person to person.

What are the risk factors that may lead to brain tumors?

We’ve compiled a wide range of information to bring you the latest ideas about which environmental and lifestyle risks may increase your risk of being diagnosed with a brain tumor.We will be updating this page regularly, so please come back often for the latest information

Can radiation cause brain tumors?

The most well-known environmental risk factor for the development of brain tumors is exposure to radiation, especially if the same site has been previously treated with radiation for cancer.

Can cell phones cause brain tumors?

Some scientists still strongly dispute this, and some studies have shown a link between cell phone use, gliomas, and acoustic neuromas (a form of schwannoma brain tumors).

We recommend that everyone follows the guidance promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) – limit mobile phone use and use a hands-free kit or mobile phone speaker. People should also be careful about keeping their phones in a pocket close to their body for extended periods of time, even when not in use.

Does the risk of brain tumors increase with age?

As humans age, the risk of developing various health conditions increases. For example, Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) Brain tumors are most common in people aged 75 to 84

Is the risk of brain tumors hereditary?

There is evidence that in rare cases, genetic factors or conditions contribute to the development of brain tumors. These conditions include Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis, nevus basal cell carcinoma syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Turcot syndrome, and von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Scientists have also discovered “clusters” of brain tumors in some families that are unrelated to these known genetic diseases. Research is ongoing to try to learn more.

Can pesticides and agriculture cause brain tumors?

There is some evidence of a link between exposure to pesticides (including some approved for household use), farming, and an increased risk of brain tumors.

This applies both to the development of brain tumors in adults (due to personal exposure to toxins) and to the development of brain tumors in children (due to personal childhood or parental occupational exposure to toxins, especially for mothers during pregnancy, but also for fathers during pregnancy) ). Conceptually).

Unfortunately, most of the studies that formed the basis of these reviews did not document the types of pesticides and specific brain tumors associated with exposure to them.

Certain chemicals have been shown to cause brain tumors in animal studies, but these results cannot be extrapolated to prove such a direct effect in humans.

Can chemicals cause brain tumors?

Studies have shown a link between painters, printing industry jobs, hairdressers, personal hair dye use and an increased risk of brain tumors.

No specific product or chemical has been identified as a direct cause of brain tumors, and it is difficult to clarify any link because of the wide variety of chemicals used by these industries and the varying doses and exposure times for each individual. and the interaction of chemicals with individual genetics and metabolism.

Scientists also examined associations between a range of solvents, occupational exposures and glioma risk, but the results were inconsistent, concluding that a strong cause-and-effect relationship could not be established.

Can what we eat cause brain tumors?

High levels of blood sugar (blood sugar) are associated with poorer survival from the glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumor, but have not been identified as a risk factor. Neither obesity, type 2 diabetes, nor high cholesterol.

However, there is some evidence that there is a link between eating cured meats containing nitrates (used as food preservatives) during pregnancy and an increased risk of glioma brain tumors in children. However, this only applies to those with a genetic predisposition related to nitrates and the potentially carcinogenic compounds they form during digestion. There has been no known risk of primary brain tumors in the general population associated with cured meat.

Can viruses cause brain tumors?

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been implicated as a possible contributing factor in the development of glioma, but it is unclear what role, if any, the virus may play.

Epstein-Barr virus is a member of the gamma herpes simplex family of DNA viruses that has been shown to cause infectious mononucleosis (glandular fever). It is closely associated with the development of several cancers, including B-cell lymphoma, nasopharyngeal cancer, and gastric cancer, which is why it has also been studied in the context of brain tumors.

Which drugs may cause brain tumors?

A drug called cyproterone acetate (CPA), which acts on testosterone and is used in low doses for a variety of medical conditions, has not been linked to the development of brain tumors. However, when used at very high doses, such as to control aggressive sexual dysfunction or to support transgender women, it has been shown to induce meningiomas.

If CPA is stopped, these meningiomas usually shrink without any further treatment. Therefore, if you are taking CPA and are diagnosed with meningioma, it is important to disclose it to your medical team.

Would you like to participate in research aimed at discovering more risk factors for brain tumors?

There are websites where people can register their details so that researchers can contact them when they start a suitable study.Brain tumor research has a Dedicated page with information on how to participate in the study.