Cancer Metastasis
Brain tumors can arise secondarily, that is, another tumor located and affecting another organ or tissue, distant from the brain, can invade either blood vessels, or lymphatic vessels to gain access to the brain tissue. These migrated tumor cells can then affect the brain cells and cause brain tumor. The incidence of these tumors, called secondary brain tumors, is escalating by 10% in comparison to the primary tumors. It is a complication seen in 20-40% of cancer patients every year. A few common cancers that can metastasize and give brain tumor as a complication are:
- Lung cancer
- Breast cancer
- Colon cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Cancers in skin or melanoma
The most common sites for these tumors to develop in the brain is in the cortex, the cerebellum and brainstem.