A listing of most of the tumors that occur in the brain or its surrounding structures is presented here. Sometimes a tumor may have more than one name. The descriptions of how the tumors behave refer to the most common patterns since there are always exceptional cases (both better and worse). Higher grade malignancies are, in general, expected to grow faster than lower grade malignancies.

The comments on tumor treatment usually refer to conventional therapy (surgery, radiation and cytotoxic chemotherapy) and may not include promising new, investigational or experimental treatments. Radiosurgery may be an option for most of these tumors and its use depends upon tumor size, location and the individual patient’s case. If a tumor continues to grow despite treatment, additional surgery may be recommended. This also depends on the individual patient.

Clinical trials are available for many of these tumors, particularly if they are malignant or recurrent. Specific tumors are listed alphabetically in the pages to follow. Discussions of spinal cord tumors, familial syndromes and the remote effects of carcinoma follow the alphabetical listing.

It should be noted that this information is provided for educational purposes only, and should not be considered to be medical advice. Questions about a specific patient should be referred to a qualified surgeon or other physician.