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Possible Causes
The causes of brain tumors are not known.
Researchers are trying to solve this problem. The more they can find out
about the causes of brain tumors, the better the chances of finding ways
to prevent them. Doctors cannot explain why one person gets a brain
tumor and another doesn't, but they do know that no one can
"catch" a brain tumor from another person. Brain tumors are not
contagious.
Although brain tumors can occur at any age,
studies show that they are most common in two age groups. The first
group is children 3 to 12 years old; the second is adults 40 to 70 years
old.
By studying large numbers of patients, researchers
have found certain risk
factors that increase a person's chance of developing a brain
tumor. People with these risk factors have a higher-than-average risk of
getting a brain tumor. For example, studies show that some types of
brain tumors are more frequent among workers in certain industries, such
as oil refining, rubber manufacturing, and drug manufacturing. Other
studies have shown that chemists and embalmers have a higher incidence
of brain tumors. Researchers also are looking at exposure to viruses as
a possible cause. Because brain tumors sometimes occur in several
members of the same family, researchers are studying families with a
history of brain tumors to see whether heredity is a cause. At this
time, scientists do not believe that head injuries cause brain tumors to
develop.
In most cases, patients with a brain tumor have no
clear risk factors. The disease is probably the result of several
factors acting together.
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