Brain

The function of the brain is to control all other organs in the body. There are three main parts in the brain and they are called the cerebrum (forebrain), the cerebellum (hindbrain) and the brain stem. Each of these parts controls different functions of the body by sending electrical messages from the brain via nerve fibres into the spinal cord. The spinal cord runs from the brain stem and all the way down the middle of the spine in the back and so the electrical messages can be delivered from the brain to all the different parts of the body. The brain and the spinal cord contain many different types of cells and these can develop into different types of tumours if they become abnormal and grow out of control. We usually talk about brain tumours instead of brain cancers because tumours that develop in the brain can be life threatening even when they are not very big or spread to other parts of the body, which is the main worry for other types of cancers. Because the brain is the control centre of our body, even brain tumours that are not cancerous can press on and destroy important areas in the brain that control vital functions of the body. They can therefore be just as serious as tumours that contain cancerous cells, although this depends on where they grow and how big they are and whether they can be treated or removed. Usually, we don´t know the cause of why a brain tumour has developed but there are some factors that we know can increase the risk of developing it. In general, the risk of developing brain tumours increase with age but people can get it at any age. We definitely know that being exposed to radiation can increase the risk of developing brain tumours and there is also an increased risk for people who have had cancer as a child and for adults who have had specific types of cancer previously in their adult life. It has also been found that some genetic conditions can increase the risk of developing certain brain tumours. Please see below if you want to find out more.

To help you find answers to some of your questions, we have linked to Maggie’s CancerLinks where you will find links to high quality information about cancer in the brain. The information on these websites is not written specifically for young people but it is written using simple language in a way that most people will be able to understand. Don’t worry if there are lots of links to different websites. Have a look on the description of the links and very often you will find the information you are searching for on the first website that you look at. If you just want general information about cancer you could read the ‘About cancer’ section on riprap.

Remember that the information on these sites is general. Within each cancer type, there are different variations, different stages, different treatments and people may also respond differently to the same treatments. Each person is an individual and because of this, generic information may not fit the situation you are thinking of. Often your parents or someone else who knows the details can answer your questions best. Also, please feel free to get in touch with us here at riprap. We can help you sorting through information or discuss things you’ve heard or read or anything at all that’s on your mind.

Don’t forget that there are lots of very effective treatments for cancer these days and many cancers can be completely cured. There are also very good treatments to control cancers that cannot be cured and research is going on all the time to find new treatments that can control and cure cancers.

Page updated 13 July 2017