Overview
Brain cancer is a malignancy arising within the brain or other structures of the central nervous system, comprising primary tumours that originate in neural and glial tissue and metastatic tumours that spread to the brain from cancers elsewhere in the body. Primary brain tumours include gliomas, medulloblastomas, and others, and are graded by their histological aggressiveness. Because the brain is enclosed within the rigid skull and governs vital functions, these tumours can produce raised intracranial pressure, seizures, headaches, focal neurological deficits, and cognitive or behavioural change depending on tumour type and location. Diagnosis relies on neuroimaging and histopathology, and treatment commonly combines surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. This topic spans the pathology, clinical presentation, and management of central-nervous-system tumours. Relevant work includes the diagnostic distinction of a second malignant neoplasm from extra-neuraxial metastasis in a previously treated medulloblastoma, the neuropsychiatric presentation of frontal-lobe tumours at the interface of neurosurgery and psychiatry, and the use of whole-brain radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy in metastatic disease to the brain. Related research considers theoretical accounts of how nervous-system adaptation contributes to chronic disease and adjunctive approaches in cancer care. Together these strands underscore the importance of accurate tumour characterization, anatomical localization, and multidisciplinary treatment in brain cancer.