Neoplasms are the abnormal growths that develop in the body which can either be cancerous or non-cancerous. The nervous system consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is the brain and the spinal cord while the peripheral nervous system contains the nerves all over the body. Any abnormal growth can affect the nervous system. Some of the tumors of the nervous system include brain tumor, nerve sheath tumor and optic nerve glioma.
Nerve sheath neoplasms
The nerve signals are transmitted with the help of nerve fibers that are covered in myelin which is made of a substance known as the protective sheath. When the cells creating the myelin grow out of control, it can develop a tumor. The common benign tumors of the nerve sheath are schwannomas and neurofibromas. The malignant peripheral nerve sheath can be very aggressive in nature that can potentially spread and affect other parts of the body and recur after treatment. The symptom of the malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor is the presence of a lump or a mass that increases in size causing pain. Schwannomas are the slow growing tumor which has the ability to become malignant and the symptom includes the mild nerve function problems or pain that develops because of pressure on the surrounding nerve. Neurofibroma is the benign tumors of the peripheral nerves which commonly affects the vestibulocochlear nerve that is responsible for transmission of sound and balance information to the brain. This type of tumor typically presents no symptoms and is a painless mass.
Brain and central nervous system cancer
Brain cancer is based on the type of cell they occur and their location on the central nervous system. The symptoms develop because of the pressure on the cerebral tissue and are based on the localization and the growth rate of the tumor. The general symptoms of brain tumors include persistent headaches, vomiting and nausea, problem balancing or walking, vision problems, hallucinations, speech problems such as slurring words or inability to find words, cognitive problems, drowsiness, loss of appetite and seizure. In the spinal cord, based on the location of the tumor, the symptoms may consist of pain in the thorax, pain in the neck, arms, back or legs when tumors are located in the neck or the back and weakness of limbs and trunks. Additional problems can include urination or bowel movement problems, impotence, numbness or tingling sensation and muscle contractions of spasms. There are various types of tumors such as astrocytic tumors, oligodendroglial tumors, ependymal tumors, embryonal cell tumors, pineal parenchymal tumors, meningeal tumors and germ cell tumors. The common treatment option of a brain tumor is a surgery that removes the tumor. Additional treatment options include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and hormone therapy.
References
http://neurosurgery.ucla.edu/schwannomas
https://sarcoma.org.uk/sarcoma-types/malignant-peripheral-nerve-sheath-tumour-mpnst
http://www.upmc.com/services/neurosurgery/brain/conditions/brain-tumors/pages/neurofibroma.aspx
https://www.crs-src.ca/page.aspx?pid=1641
