BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

Definition of the Case:

Brain Mass
 A brain tumor is a mass or growth of abnormal cells in your brain. Some brain tumors are noncancerous (benign), and
some brain tumors are cancerous (malignant). Brain tumors can begin in your brain (primary brain tumors), or cancer
can begin in other parts of your body and spread to your brain (secondary, or metastatic, brain tumors).
CNS Lymphoma
 CNS lymphoma is an extremely rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that involves the brain and spinal cord. In CNS
lymphoma, cancerous lymphocytes can either amass in the brain and spinal cord or spread to the CNS from other sites
of lymph tissue in the body.
Glioma
 Glioma is a type of tumor that occurs in the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas begin in the gluey supportive cells that
surrounds nerve cells and help them function. Glioma are one of the most common types of primary brain tumors.
Incidence: Global & National:
Global
 About 29,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with primary brain tumors each year, and nearly 13,000 people die. In
children, brain tumors are the cause of one quarter of all cancer deaths. The overall annual incidence of primary brain
tumors in the U.S. is 11 to 12 per 100,000 people. For primary malignant brain tumors, that rate is 6 to 7 per 100,000
National

General Signs & Symptoms

 Headache
 Nausea & Vomiting
 Vision Problems
 Seizures
 Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg
 Speech difficulties

Confirmatory Diagnostics

 CT Scan
 MRI
 Biopsy (to determine what type of tumor)

Risk Factors

Predisposing
 Age - Brain tumors are more common in children and older adults, although people of any age can develop a brain tumor.
 Gender - men are more likely than women to develop a brain tumor.
 Medical History of Cancer - Both childhood cancers, and cancers such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, and glioma in
adults, are associated with an increased risk of developing brain tumors.
Precipitating
 Radiation Exposure
 Head Injury