The common person hears about someone dying from a brain tumor and then questions why the medical personnel did not pick up on this diagnosis during routine physicals, or that the individual had not noticed any ailments early on and sought medical help before it was too late. What most people do not understand is how very difficult it is to detect a brain tumor in its initial stage of growth. And, although the main emphasis of the tumor is most certainly within the brain itself, there are many other areas of the body that will be affected by this devastating medical condition.

As it grows, if the brain tumor has increased its pressure upon the central nervous system, the individual will most likely experience associated tumor symptoms, such as headaches, neck discomfort or even signs that their body's intestinal system has been aggravated. Another danger to that individual is that the brain tumor might also be the cause behind recurring seizures. Unfortunately, because these symptoms are very slow in appearing, but the time a patient starts describing their unique and irregular sensations to their doctor, the chance that a stroke may occur has been elevated.

Another obstacle that prevents a brain tumor from being detected at any earlier stage in that this medical condition often parallels numerous other stressors of the neurological system. Varying locations of the tumor within the brain itself can stimulate assorted tendencies. Some of the more common symptoms described by brain tumor patients themselves are double vision, confusing thought patterns, memory loss, increased drowsiness and a weakened sense of motor function throughout the body.

The most common denominator shared by individuals who have actual brain tumors are the headaches associated with this abnormal swelling. Although frequent headaches by no means translates into an immediate medical diagnosis of a brain tumor, if you are experiencing them, that symptom alone is enough of a red flag and should be mentioned to your physician at your earliest convenience.

Another intriguing fact that puzzles the layperson is that there are different types of brain tumors, with each one prompting a range of treatments. Although its cause is still under investigation, when a patient is diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, the medical team looks at that individual's family history, as well as a range of environmental factors from that person's life circumstances. It is very important for all of these factors to be taken into consideration as the prognosis and treatment of a brain tumor patient is directly correlated to the diagnosis.

Through extensive medical research, it has been revealed that tumors located within the brain are the most common form of central nervous metastasis.

(Metastasis is when there is a spot of cancer that moves from one part of the body to another.) Thanks in part to today's advanced technology, an exact determination of a brain tumor has been made possible through the examination of a cell sample beneath a microscope. Fortunately, metastatic brain tumors usually have very distinct symptoms and tendencies which enable doctors to rule them out as primary brain tumors. Knowing the tumor's diagnosis can make a difference in the type of treatment plan the patient pursues.

Also interesting to note is that brain tumors can occur in people of all ages, although those tumors that fall within the metastatic category are more prevalent in adults than children.