Not all types of brain tumours cause symptoms, and not all cause the same. These symptoms can be caused by two main reasons:
- The tumor is pressing or encroaching on other parts of the brain and keeping them from functioning normally.
- Swelling in the brain caused directly form the tumor of for surrounding inflammation
The most common symptoms are: headache, weakness, clumsiness, difficulty in walking and seizures. Also there are non specific ones such as: vomiting, abnormalities in vision and difficulty in speech. However, non of these symptoms are brain tumour characteristic. Therefore a further diagnostic testing is needed to ensure the presence of a tumour. Usually the appearance of these symptoms is gradually and easy to be missed, even though in some cases the tumour can be suddenly manifested, for example in a stroke.
The recommended cue to seek for medical attention is when the following events are detected:
- Unexplained and persistent vomiting
- Double vision or unexplained blurring, specially on only one side
- Lethargy
- New seizures
- New pattern or type of headaches.
The location of the tumour is the highest determinant of the symptoms a patient experiences. There are over 120 types of brain tumours, and thus it is extremly complicated to determine the tumour type just by the symptoms the patient suffers. Moreover, the presence of the brain tumour can be due to a metastasis of a cancer originated in other part of the body.
Symptoms related to the tumour location:
- Pressure or headache near the tumor.
- Loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills is linked with a tumor in the cerebellum.
- Changes in judgement and muscle weakness or paralysis is associated with a tumor in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum
- Partial o complete loss of vision is caused by a tumor in the occipital or temporal lobe.
- Changes in speech, hearing, memory or emotional state, and problems understanding or retrieving words can be caused by a tumor in the frontal or temporal lobe of the cerebrum.
- Altered perception of touch or pressure, arm or leg weakness on one side of the body, or confusion with right and left sides are linked to a tumor in the frontal or parietal lobe.
- Inability to look upwards can be caused by a pineal gland tumor.
- Lactation, alteration in the menstrual period and growth in hands and feet are associated to a pituitary tumor.
- Difficulty in swallowing, facial weakness or numbness, and double vision are symptoms of a tumor in the brain stem.
- Vision changes including partial loss and/or double vision can be caused by a tumor in the temporal or occipital lobe, or in the brain stem.
