KNOCKS to the head increase your risk of brain tumours, a study claims.
Patients who suffered a serious head injury in the past were nearly four times as likely to suffer the disease.
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Researchers found injuries to the brain could cause swelling, making cells more likely to become cancerous.
Professor Simona Parrinello, of University College London, said: “Brain trauma may contribute to an increased risk of developing brain cancer in later life.”
Brain tumours are rare but deadly, with 12,000 cases and 5,500 deaths each year in the UK.
They can cause you to suffer headaches, seizures, memory problems, a change in personality and make you feel sick.
The illness becomes more likely as you age, with exposure to radiation and a family history two known risk factors.
The latest study, published in Current Biology, investigated how hitting your head could also increase the chances of the disease.
Researchers studied the brains of mice that had suffered head injuries to see if their cells became cancerous.
They found the brains had markers of early cancer cells that could divide.
The team then looked at the health records of 20,000 people who had been diagnosed with head injuries, comparing the rate of brain cancer with a group that had not had a bump.
Professor Parrinello said they found that as people age, swelling from an injury to the brain can lead to a tumour forming.
Independent experts said the research showed how injuries could increase the risk of brain cancer.
Dr Mark Dallas, of the University of Reading, said: “While a brain injury will not guarantee that an individual will develop cancer, the study provides a biological mechanism by which the risk of cancer may be elevated.
“It also highlights the increasing importance of being able to monitor our brain’s inflammatory status.”