Is Meningioma Cancerous?

Rate This

There are many kinds of brain tumors, some cancerous, some benign. One of the most common benign brain tumors is called a meningioma.

A meningioma is a tumor that grows from the meninges, or the membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord. Approximately 20 percent of all intracranial tumors are meningiomas. These tumors are most common in women between 30 to 50 years old, but can also occur in children and other adults.

Even though meningiomas are rarely cancerous, they can cause problems. Like any other brain tumor, symptoms are caused by a lack of space. An adult skull is like a box in that it cannot expand. Your skull holds your brain, meninges, and spinal fluid. Anything extra takes up space and presses on your brain.

Symptoms of pressure on your brain are similar no matter what is causing the problem. These symptoms can include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Vision changes
• Poor coordination or balance
• Confusion
• Sleepiness
• Terrible headache
• Trouble with speech
• Seizures

The good thing about meningiomas is that they tend to grow very slowly. Sometimes they don’t even cause symptoms, and they can stay so small that the only treatment needed is repeated brain scans and tracking any change in symptoms.

When a meningioma causes problems, treatment often involves surgery. Treatment partially depends on where in the brain the tumor is located. Surgery cannot always remove the entire tumor if it is close to sensitive areas of the brain like the areas responsible for breathing. In those cases, the neurosurgeon will remove most of the tumor and that may be enough to get rid of symptoms, although the tumor may regrow. Meningiomas can also be treated with radiation or radiosurgery. Chemotherapy is not a common treatment for these tumors.

No one is sure what causes meningiomas to grow, but radiation exposure and certain genetic problems increase your risk, as does being female. If you develop symptoms of increased pressure in your brain, let your health care provider know.

Sources:

Brigham and Women’s Hospital
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/neurosurgery/meningioma/meningiomafacts.aspx
Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meningioma/ds00901
Medline Plus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/braincancer.html

Symptoms of Brain Tumors in Women

What are the Risk Factors for Meningiomas?

The High Cost of Bad Radiology

Sheryl Crow’s Brain Tumor Is a Benign Meningioma

Add a Comment1 Comments

Anne McGinnis Breen

I am a 25 year longterm recurrent meningioma brain tumor survivor since my diagnosis and first brain surgery in 1986. Most meningioma tumor cells look just like uterine fibroid tumor cells under a medical microscope. The Central Brain Tumor Registry of the Us at www.CBTRUS.org has recently documented them as 34% of all primary brain tumors newly diagnosed annually in the US or about 21,000 new cases each year, that strike mostly middle-aged women, I was 39, now I'm 64. Please visit my personal bt blog to read more important treatment information and questions about this condition if you or a loved one have been diagnosed/treated. I take a safe alternative meningioma drug treatment in an individual FDA and IRB approved clinical trial since Feb 2005 and my condition remains stable with no new growth on a daily 200mg pill of the anti-progesterone drug mifepristone (brand name Mifeprex) at http://gbyay.blogspot.com

December 31, 2011 - 6:12pm

This Comment

Improved My Health
Changed My Life
Saved My Life

Add a Comment

Cary Cook BSN RN View Profile Send Message

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.