Brain tumour is an overgrowth of cells, either within the brain or near it in places like nerves, the pituitary gland, and the meninges Brain tumours can be benign (non-cancerous growth or lumps that generally do not spread to other organs/tissues) or malignant (made up of cancerous cells that multiply and spread to neighbouring tissues and organs and sometimes break away and spread to many organs in the body, a process called metastasis).
The prevalence of brain tumours is variable around the world and in India. Approximately 2% of all cancers are brain cancers. The incidence rate globally is approximately 6.2 per 100,000 people per year.
While brain tumours account for a relatively small percentage of overall cancer cases in India, they are a significant cause of mortality, with over 24,000 deaths reported each year.
Symptoms of Brain Tumour:
- Headache or a feeling of pressure in the head that is:
- Worse in the morning.
- Persistent or frequent and seem severe.
- Feel like tension headaches or migraines.
- May be associated with nausea and/or vomiting.
- Issues with vision like blurring, double vision, or diminishing sight on the sides (peripheral vision).
- Loss of sensation or movement in the legs or arms.
- Issues with balance.
- Speech issues like slurring, incoherent speech.
- Excess tiredness.
- Confusion in matters like orientation to time, taking decisions, or performing daily tasks.
- Memory loss or lapses.
- Trouble in following simple commands.
- Personality or behavioural changes.
- Seizures (particularly in persons with no previous history of seizures).
- Difficulty with hearing.
Symptoms based on the location of the tumour in the brain:
- Front of the brain: The frontal lobes are in the front of the brain which control thinking and movement. Therefore, tumours that are located there may cause issues with balance, personality changes, forgetfulness, and lack of interest in everyday activities.
- Middle of the brain: The parietal lobes present in the upper middle part of the brain control processing of information like touch, taste, smell, vision, and hearing. Tumours in these areas may affect one or more of these senses.
- Back of the brain: The occipital lobes situated in the back of the brain are responsible for control of vision. Tumours in this area may lead to loss of vision.
- Lower-side part of the brain: The temporal lobes on the sides of the brain help to process memories and senses. Tumours in these areas may affect memory retention and recall.
Changed
08/Jun/2026
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