Introduction
Brain tumors can either start in the brain or spread from other places, but usually won't spread outside of the brain. They may also be benign or malignant. If the tumor is benign, then it often won't threaten the patient's life. The speed of growth and location of the brain tumor determine the effects it will have on the patient. The two main types of brain tumors are primary brain (starts in the brain) and secondary brain (spreads into the brain). More specific types of brain tumors can be seen here. Some of the risk factors for brain tumors include: being exposed to radiation and brain tumors being hereditary (more detailed).
Mechanisms and genetic alterations
The most common mutated genes for brain cancer are TERT, TP53, IDH1, PTEN, ATRX, EGFR. The most common copy number alteration genes are CDKN2A, CDKN2B, EGFR, CDK4.
Current brain cancer treatments
If the tumor is small and easy to remove, then surgery is used. Even if the tumor can't be removed completely, as much of it as possible is removed. Radiation therapy or chemotherapy can be used after surgery or as a replacement for surgery. If the tumor removal can't be helped by surgery, then radiation therapy with chemo is used. If this doesn't work, then targeted drugs may be used. Certain tumors have a focus on controlling the cancer rather than curing it, so the previously stated treatments are used for things like this too.
New treatments in clinical trials
