In the normal body, cells constantly divide, grow and die. These processes are genetically hard-wired by a number of critical genes that maintain the balance between cell life and death. The brain poses a unique set of challenges. Early detection of brain cancer is more difficult and arguably more important than in most other organs. Despite improvements in brain imaging, it is not cost-efficient to offer routine brain scans, even for individuals over the age of 55 who are at the greatest risk.
Symptoms often are subtle or difficult to diagnose.
These tumors can therefore grow undetected for many years and become resistant to therapy. Late diagnosis is made even more frightening by the fact that the brain is more difficult to treat than any other organ. It has its own protective wall, the blood-brain barrier, that keeps out unwanted elements. Unfortunately, it often also blocks chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and poses a unique challenge for surgery. In theory, the best way to get rid of an unwanted bundle of cells is simply to remove it.