Adult brain tumor is a disease in which abnormal cells form in the tissues of the brain.
A brain tumor that starts in another part of the body and spreads to the brain is called a metastatic tumor.
The brain controls many important functions in the body.
In most parts of the body, the spinal cord connects the brain to the nerves.
There are several types of brain and spinal tumors:
Oligodendroglial tumors
Astrocytic tumors
Combined gliomas
Ependymal tumors
Embryonic cell tumors: medulloblastoma (grade 4)
Pineal Parenchymal Tumor
Menangial tumors
Germ cell tumors
Celarial tumors: Craniopharyngioma (grade 1) and pituitary tumor
Other adult brain tumors
Recurrent brain tumors
The cause of many adult brain tumors remains unknown.
The symptoms of adult brain and spinal cord tumors are not the same for everyone.
Tests that examine the brain and spinal cord are used to diagnose (find) adult brain tumors.
Many adult brain tumors are diagnosed and removed surgically.
Certain factors affect the possibility of complete recovery and treatment options.
Adult brain tumor is a disease in which abnormal cells form in the tissues of the brain.
There are several types of brain and spinal tumors. Tumors are formed by abnormal cell growth and may start in different parts of the brain and spinal cord. The brain and spinal cord together form the central nervous system (CNS).
Tumors are either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign brain tumors grow and put pressure on nearby brain areas. They rarely spread or recur in other tissues. While malignant brain tumors grow rapidly and spread to other brain tissues. When a tumor spreads to other parts of the brain or presses on it, it prevents that part of the brain from functioning normally. Both benign and malignant brain tumors can cause symptoms and sometimes death.
Brain tumors occur in both adults and children, but the treatment of children is different from that of adults. (For more information on pediatric treatment, read the PDQ summary of pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors at a glance.)
For information on lymphoma cancer that starts in the brain, read the PDQ Summary of Primary Central Nervous System Cancer (CNS) treatment.
A brain tumor that starts in another part of the body and spreads to the brain is called a metastatic tumor.
Tumors that start in the brain are called primary brain tumors. Often, tumors found in the brain start elsewhere in the body and spread to parts of the brain. These types of tumors are called metastatic brain tumors (or brain metastases). Metastatic brain tumors are more common than primary brain tumors.
Types of cancers that commonly enter the brain include melanoma and breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and cancer of unknown primary origin. Types of cancers that commonly spread to the spinal cord include lymphoma and cancers of the lung, breast and prostate. About half of all brain and spinal cord tumors are metastatic by lung cancer. Leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer may spread to the leptomeninges (two of the innermost membranes that line the brain and spinal cord).
See the PDQ Summary for more information on cancers that commonly spread to the brain and spinal cord.
Treatment of adult Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer
Treatment of adult non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer
Breast cancer treatment
Treatment of primary carcinoma unknown
Treatment of colon and rectal cancer
Treatment of melanoma
Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer
Treatment of small cell lung cancer
The brain controls many important functions of the body.
The brain has three important parts:
The brain is the largest part of the brain and is located above the head. The brain controls thinking, learning, problem solving, emotions, speech, reading, writing, and voluntary movements.
The cerebellum is located in the lower back of the brain (near the middle of the back of the head) and controls movement, balance, and posture.
The brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord. It is located in the lowest part of the brain (just above the back of the neck). It controls the brainstem, respiration, heart rate, and the nerves and muscles used to see, hear, walk, talk, and eat.
In most parts of the body, the spinal cord connects the brain to the body’s nerves.
The spinal cord is a column of nerve tissue that descends from the brainstem to the center of the back and is covered by three thin layers of tissue called the membrane. This membrane is surrounded by the spine.
The nerves in the spinal cord carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body, for example a signal from the brain to move muscles or from the skin to the brain to feel.
There are several types of brain and spinal cord tumors.
Tumors of the brain and spinal cord are named based on the type of cell in which they develop and the place where the tumor first forms in the CNS. Tumor grade is used to distinguish between slow-growing and fast-growing tumors.
The grade of a tumor is based on how abnormal the cancer cells look under the microscope and how quickly the tumor grows and spreads.
Tumor rating system
Grade 1 (low grade) – The tumor grows slowly and has cells that are very similar to normal cells and rarely spread to surrounding tissues. It is possible to remove the entire tumor surgically.
Grade 2: The tumor grows slowly but may spread to the surrounding tissue and recur. They became higher grade tumors.
Grade 3 – The tumor grows rapidly and may spread to surrounding tissue. Tumor cells look very different from normal cells.
Grade 4 (high grade) – The tumor grows rapidly and spreads to surrounding tissues. Cells do not look like normal cells.
There may be parts of dead cells in the tumor. Grade 4 brain tumors are more difficult to treat than low-grade tumors.
Astrocytic tumors
Astrocyte tumors form in a type of star-shaped cell in the brain called an astrocyte.
Astrocytes are a type of glial cell and are sometimes called gliomas. Astrocytic tumors include the following types:
Brainstem Glioma: The brainstem glioma forms in the brainstem, the part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord. This type of tumor is often a high-grade tumor that spreads widely through the brainstem and is difficult to treat. Brain glioma rarely occurs in adults (For more information, see the PDQ summary of treatment for brainstem glioma in children.)
Pineal astrocytic tumor: Pineal astrocytic tumor forms in the tissue around the pineal gland and can be of different degrees. The pineal gland is a small organ in the brain that produces melatonin, a hormone that helps control the sleep-wake cycle.
Pilocytic astrocytoma (grade 1): A pilocytic astrocytoma grows slowly in the brain and spinal cord. The tumor may be in the form of a cyst and rarely spread to surrounding tissues. This type of tumor is the most common type in children and adolescents and in people with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF 1). Pilocytic astrocytoma rarely causes death.
Diffuse astrocytoma (type 2): Diffuse astrocytoma grows slowly but often spreads to surrounding tissues. Sometimes diffuse astrocytoma develops to a higher degree and becomes anaplastic astrocytoma or a glioblastoma. Diffuse astrocytoma can form in any part of the brain, but is more common in the brain. This type of tumor is the most common type in adolescents and people with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. This type of tumor is also known as low-grade diffuse astrocytoma.
Anaplastic astrocytoma (grade 3): Anaplastic astrocytoma grows rapidly and spreads to surrounding tissues. Anaplastic astrocytoma develops to a higher degree and becomes glioblastoma. Anaplastic astrocytoma most often forms in the brain and is more common in adults. Anaplastic astrocytoma is also known as malignant astrocytoma or high-grade astrocytoma.
Glioblastoma (Grade 4): Glioblastoma grows and spreads rapidly. Glioblastoma most often forms in the brain. This type of tumor is more common in adults and has a poor chance of recovery. This type of tumor is also called glioblastoma multiforme.
