A new research has found a link between holding a university degree and higher chances of developing a mass of abnormal cells in the brain.

This association may seem unlikely, but researchers from Sweden and the United Kingdom discovered that a certain type of brain tumor was particularly common among those who studied at university for at least three years, compared to those who did not go on to higher education.

Basis Of The Study

Every year, more than 70,000 new cases of brain tumors will be detected in the United States. Incidentally, malignant brain tumor is the leading cause of cancer death among adolescents and young adults in the country.

The most common type of brain tumor is meningiomas, which represent approximately 36.4 percent of all primary brain tumors.

On the other hand, gliomas, which include tumors from the brain's supportive tissue, represent 27 percent of all brain tumors, and 80 percent of all malignant tumors. Gliomas begin in glial cells that support and surround brain neurons.

Although there are at least 100 distinct types of central nervous system and brain tumors, the primary causes of the illness are still largely unknown.

Indeed, few risk factors have been identified for brain tumors. Some factors include certain rare genetic syndromes and exposure to ionizing radiation.

Studying Risk Factors For Brain Tumor

In order to investigate risk factors for brain tumors, experts from University College London and the Karolinska Institutet assessed records involving more than 4.3 million Swedes born between 1911 and 1961.

All of the participants lived in Sweden in 1991 and were monitored from 1993 to 2010 to see if they developed any type of brain tumor. The researchers also collected data on income, educational attainment, marital status and occupation from the national census, national insurance and labor market data.

Within the said period, 1.1 million Swedes died and more than 48,000 relocated to a different country. A total of 7,101 women and 5,735 men developed a primary brain tumor.

Results Of The Study

The research team discovered the following:

1. Men who studied at university for three years had 19 percent chances of developing glioma, compared to men who did not go beyond compulsory schooling.

2. Women who had higher education faced a 23 percent higher risk of developing glioma as well as a 16 percent higher risk of developing meningioma compared to other women who did not go to university.

3. High disposable incomes were linked to 14 percent more chances of glioma for men. However, there was no link for women.

4. Occupation played a role for both men and women. Compared with men in manual roles, men in professorial or managerial jobs had 20 percent higher glioma risks and 50 percent risk for acoustic neuroma — a brain tumor that is non-cancerous but affects hearing and balance.

5. For women in professorial and managerial roles, the glioma risk was 26 percent, while the meningioma risk was 14 percent, compared to those in manual professions.

Limitations Of The Study

Although the study was based on a large, population-based cohort, the researchers emphasize that it is an observational study and they cannot draw any cause-and-effect relationship.

Another limitation is the fact that experts did not have information on lifestyle factors that could affect the chances developing a brain tumor.

Still, the research team asserts that the findings were constant. Details of the study are published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Photo: Paul Cleary | Flickr