The body is made up of a wide variety of cells with separate functions. The vast majority of these cells grow and die throughout our lives. Those that die are replaced by new ones by the division of other cells. In this way, it is ensured that the body remains healthy and performs its duties correctly. The division of cells while they are being renewed has been subject to very strict rules as a result of millions of years of evolution, and most of the time it runs smoothly throughout a person’s life. However, as a result of diseases, hereditary factors and the factors that the body is exposed to from the environment, the proper functioning of the cells is impaired, and the cells lose their growth control and begin to divide very often, rapidly and in more numbers than they should. These defective cells form misoperational cell communities called tumors. The same is true for other cells of the brain and nervous system. Brain tumors are diagnosed in approximately 16,000 people each year.
Tumors are divided into two main groups as benign (benign) and malignant (malignant). Benign tumors are the group that do not contain cancer cells. They can usually be removed, do not recur and do not spread to the surrounding normal working tissues and disrupt their functions. Benign brain tumors have good margins and can be surgically removed. However, by compressing other normal tissues in the brain, they can prevent their normal functioning.
Malignant brain tumors contain cancer cells. They threaten life. They grow rapidly and spread to surrounding normal tissues, preventing them from functioning. They usually survive by taking root, just like trees, and stealing the substances necessary for their nutrition from healthy brain tissue.
The central nervous system, especially the brain, is very sensitive to pressure changes since it is in a tightly guarded closed box (skull). For this reason, although some benign tumors do not contain cancer cells, they can cause life-threatening conditions by pressing on important structures.
Tumors originating from brain tissue are called primary brain tumors. Secondary brain tumor occurs when a non-cerebral cancer spreads to the brain. Brain tumors are named according to the type of tissue from which they originate. The most common primary brain tumor is gliomas. These originate from the brain’s extraneural support cells.
