Any condition, illness, or abnormality affecting the brain, such as tumors, strokes, or traumatic injuries, falls within the realm of pathology. Pathology, the study of the origins and consequences of diseases or injuries, delves into various aspects of ailments: their origins, modes of progression (pathogenesis), structural changes in cells (morphological alterations), and the resulting clinical manifestations.
Oncology specifically focuses on the study of tumors affecting the spinal cord and brain, many of which pose significant threats to life and well-being. Examples of such tumors include astrocytomas, gliomas, glioblastoma multiforme, ependymomas, pontine gliomas, and brain stem tumors. Among the most severe malignant brain cancers are gliomas situated in the brainstem and pons, glioblastoma multiforme, and high-grade astrocytomas characterized by marked cellular abnormality.