Lymphoma of the Brain

Page 1 2 3

What is Lymphoma of the Brain?

Cancers of the Brain may be of the Lymphoma type. Primary lymphomas arise from lymphatic cells found within the brain. Secondary lymphomas arise from outside the central nervous system and deposit within the CNS as a metastatic process. Primary lymphomas will be discussed here.

The brain is the control centre for the body. It is comprised of millions of individual nerve cells, which are all interconnected. It is located at the top of the spinal cord and is encased in hard bone. Individual nerves emerge from the brain to work the muscles and organs contained within the head. These are called cranial nerves.

The brain itself is divided into 2 sides and each side contains a number of lobes. The frontal lobes control some functions such as memory and learned behaviour, together with some speech functions. The parietal and temporal lobes contain the control centre for movement and sensation on the opposite side of the body. The occipital, located at the back, interprets visual signals from the eyes and is therefore responsible for sight. Located underneath the occipital lobes is the cerebellum, which controls balance and coordination on the same side of the body.

The brain stem is responsible for automatic functions such as breathing.

Who gets Lymphoma of the Brain?

Primary cerebral lymphomas are rare. They represent less than 1% of all CNS tumours. It can occur at any age but is more common in the elderly. It affects males and females equally. Geographically the disease is found worldwide.

Predisposing Factors

Predisposing factors include:

Exposure to ionising radiation.
Infection with the Epstein Barr virus (which is known to be a causative factor for a variety of lymphomas)
Immunodeficiency (including AIDS and following organ transplantation).

Progression
This type of tumour spreads by infiltration of the cerebrospinal fluid and seeding within the central nervous system. In less than 10% of patients distant metastases occur to sites such as the viscera, bones and soft tissues.

Page 1 2 3