Primary And Secondary Brain Tumours: A Simple Guide

Anyone suffering from brain tumours, be they benign or malignant, will seek the best medical care possible to provide relief from symptoms or even a solution that fully resolves the issue. However, the care that is needed depends on a range of different factors.

The most important factor is whether a tumour is benign or malignant, the first type being non-cancerous and the second cancerous. A second issue is the location of the tumour, which can determine what impact it has and also what treatment options are available. A third issue is the type of tumour, some being more aggressive and fast-growing than others.

However, one of the most significant differences is between primary and secondary tumours. Understanding the difference between these is important for patients to stay informed about their treatment options at our radiotherapy centre, as there is a clear distinction between the two categories.

The Key Difference

With brain tumours, a primary tumour is one that starts in the brain, whereas a secondary tumour is one that has started elsewhere in the body, but has then spread to the brain.

In the first case, a primary tumour will usually originate in an area called the cerebrum, but it can occur in any part of the brain or spinal cord, with the pituitary glands and the meninges (the outer tissues that protect the brain) also being where tumours frequently arise.

Tumours that start in the meninges, called meningiomas, are the most likely to be benign, but there are many other kinds of benign brain tumours. Some of the most aggressive malignant tumours come from the spinal cord or nearby areas of the brain, such as glioblastomas, which arise in star-shaped cells called astrocytes.

Secondary brain cancer is made up of the same cells as the kind of cancer that it starts as. This can include common cancers such as skin (melanoma), lung, breast, kidney or colorectal cancer. This means that, unlike some primary brain tumours, these are never benign.

These distinctions make a major difference to the kinds of treatment you may receive and the options open to you and your oncologists.

Treating Primary Tumours

In the first instance, because some primary tumours are benign, there may be means of treating them that enable the tumour to be managed without full excision or extensive radiotherapy or chemotherapy. In some cases, patients are asymptomatic. For example, many schwannomas do not produce symptoms, although others can cause hearing loss.

However, in most cases, surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy – or a combination of different treatments – may be required. In some cases this can remove a tumour that may turn cancerous later on, while it can also help tackle benign tumours that can cause other problems by placing pressure on the brain.

If the tumour is cancerous, early diagnosis is very important, as is beginning treatment as soon as possible. Whether it can be removed or reduced with surgery can depend on its location in the brain, while stereotactic surgery, which focuses an intense beam of radiation, can be the best option for some tumours that are otherwise hard to reach.

Diagnosing Secondary Tumours

In the case of secondary cancers, the great likelihood is that the cancer will have been diagnosed and be undergoing treatment before the point at which any secondary tumour arises in the brain, although there are some instances where the secondary cancer in the brain is detected first.

In the case of any cancer, one of the main factors that determine the outlook for patients is whether metastasis (the cancer spreading) takes place.

Examples of this would include instances of breast cancer where a mastectomy has been carried out. In some instances, this removes all cancer as metastasis has not occurred, but in other cases, it will have spread to other parts of the body, which could include the brain.

In some cases, signs of secondary cancer may arise from common symptoms associated with brain tumours, such as nausea, weakness on one side of the body, speech problems or impaired eyesight. In other cases, they may be asymptomatic.

Treating Secondary Tumours

Should a secondary brain tumour arise, the treatment methods will include the same range available for primary tumours, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The one difference is these may be provided in combination with ongoing treatment for the primary cancer.

Whether a brain tumour is primary or secondary, there are many treatment options. With the help of our skilled team of oncologists, we can help you establish the best means of treatment to provide you with symptomatic relief and seek the best possible outcomes.