Brain Tumor Treatment

Brain Tumor Treatment

An Adult Brain Tumor is a disease in which abnormal cells form in the tissues of the brain.
There are many types of brain and spinal cord tumors. The tumors may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign brain tumors grow and press on nearby areas of the brain. Malignant brain tumors are likely to grow quickly and spread into other brain tissue. Brain tumors can occur in both adults and children. 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. Metastatic brain tumors are more common than primary brain tumors.




About half of metastatic brain and spinal cord tumors are caused by lung cancer. Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment
Breast Cancer Treatment
Colon Cancer Treatment
Melanoma Treatment
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment
Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord. There are different types of brain and spinal cord tumors.

Brain and spinal cord tumors are named based on the type of cell they formed in and where the tumor first formed in the CNS. Tumor Grading System
Some tumors may become a higher-grade tumor.

Grade III — The tumor grows quickly, is likely to spread into nearby tissue, and the tumor cells look very different from normal cells.
Grade IV (high-grade) — The tumor grows and spreads very quickly and the cells do not look like normal cells. Grade IV brain tumors are harder to cure than lower-grade tumors.

Astrocytic Tumors
An astrocytic tumor begins in star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes, which help keep nerve cells healthy.

Astrocytic tumors include the following:
Brain stem glioma: A brain stem glioma forms in the brain stem, which is the part of the brain connected to the spinal cord. This type of tumor has a poor prognosis. Oligodendroglial Tumors
An oligodendroglial tumor begins in brain cells called oligodendrocytes, which help keep nerve cells healthy.

Grades of oligodendroglial tumors include the following:
A mixed glioma is a brain tumor that has two types of tumor cells in it — oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Oligoastrocytoma (grade II): An oligoastrocytoma is a slow-growing tumor and the tumor cells don't look very different from normal cells.

Ependymal Tumors
Grades of ependymal tumors include the following:
Embryonal Cell Tumors: Medulloblastoma (Grade IV)
A medulloblastoma is a type of embryonal tumor. The tumor forms in brain cells when the fetus is beginning to develop. This type of brain tumor often begins in the cerebellum.

Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment
Childhood Central Nervous System Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor Treatment
Pineal Parenchymal Tumors
Grades of pineal parenchymal tumors include the following:
Meningeal Tumors

It can form from different types of brain or spinal cord cells. Types of meningeal tumors include the following:

Germ Cell Tumors
Germ cell tumors usually form in the center of the brain, near the pineal gland. Germ cell tumors can spread to other parts of the brain and spinal cord. There are different types of germ cell tumors. Germ cell tumors can be either benign or malignant.
(See the PDQ summary on Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors Treatment Overview for more information.)

Tumors of the Sellar Region: Craniopharyngioma (Grade I) and Pituitary Tumor
It can form from different types of brain or spinal cord cells.
Pituitary tumor: See the PDQ summary on Pituitary Tumors Treatment for more information.

Other Adult Brain Tumors
See the PDQ health professional summary on Adult Brain Tumors Treatment for information about these other types of adult brain tumors:
Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma
Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor
Supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)
Pineal parenchymal tumors of intermediate differentiation

Recurrent Brain Tumors
Brain tumors often recur, sometimes many years after the first tumor.
The cause of most adult brain tumors is unknown.

There are few known risk factors for brain tumors. The symptoms caused by a brain tumor depend on where the tumor formed in the brain, the functions controlled by that part of the brain, and the size of the tumor. Headaches and other symptoms may be caused by adult brain tumors.

Brain Tumors
Spinal Cord Tumors
Tests that examine the brain and spinal cord are used to detect (find) adult brain tumors.
Most adult brain tumors are diagnosed and removed in surgery.
After the surgery, a pathologist checks the cancer cells to find out the type and grade of brain tumor.

Where the tumor is in the brain.
The prognosis and treatment options for metastatic brain tumors depend on the following:
Whether there are more than two tumors in the brain or spinal cord.
Where in the brain or spinal cord the tumors are.
How well the tumor responds to treatment.
Whether the primary tumor continues to grow or spread.

Brain Tumors
Mayo Clinic is one of the world's leading brain tumor treatment and research centers.
Brain Tumor Treatment
Gliomas - tumors which originate in the brain, including:
astrocytomas



Metastatic Brain Tumors - tumors which start in another part of the body and spread to the brain

Pediatric Brain Tumors
Learn more about brain tumor diagnosis.
Treatment Options
Learn more about brain tumor treatment at Mayo Clinic.

About Brain Tumors
Brain tumors typically are categorized as primary or secondary. Primary brain tumors originate in the brain and can be benign (slow growing) or malignant (fast growing). Secondary brain tumors (metastatic brain tumors), which are malignant, are more common. Brain tumors may be classified as gliomas or non-gliomas.