Brain tumours: symptoms and types

A brain tumour is a disease caused by abnormal cell growth in the brain, which can put pressure on healthy areas of the brain. A brain tumour can develop in different areas, such as the membranes covering the brain (meninges), the base of the skull, the brainstem, the sinuses or the nasal cavity. More than 100 different types of tumour have been described, depending on the tissue they arise from.

How Common Are Brain Tumours and Are They Dangerous?

Tumours of the brain and nervous system affect about 30 in every 100,000 adults. A tumour can be dangerous because it presses on nearby healthy tissue, increases the pressure inside the skull by blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, or, in some types, can spread. Even benign tumours can cause serious loss of function when they are located in vital areas.

The Difference Between a Tumour, a Lesion and Brain Cancer

A brain tumour is a special type of lesion; every tumour is a lesion, but not every lesion is a tumour. A lesion means an area of damaged tissue and can be caused by stroke, trauma, infection (encephalitis) or vascular disorders (arteriovenous malformation).

Brain cancer, on the other hand, refers to malignant tumours. All brain cancers are tumours, but not all brain tumours are cancerous.

Benign and Malignant Brain Tumours

Benign Tumours

They usually grow slowly, have clear borders and rarely spread. Even so, they can cause serious problems by pressing on vital areas. Typical examples: meningioma, vestibular schwannoma, pituitary adenoma.

Malignant Tumours

They grow faster, can invade surrounding tissue and can be life-threatening. Examples: glioblastoma, olfactory neuroblastoma, chondrosarcoma, medulloblastoma.

Primary and Metastatic Brain Tumours

Primary Tumours

They arise from the brain itself. Common examples: meningioma, glioma. Very rarely, they can spread within the brain and spinal cord.

Metastatic (Secondary) Tumours

They develop when a cancer that formed in another part of the body spreads to the brain. Metastatic brain tumours are about four times more common than primary brain tumours. The cancers that most often spread to the brain are lung, breast, colon and kidney cancers, and melanoma.

Brain Tumour Symptoms

Symptoms vary depending on the tumour’s location, size and growth rate. Common complaints:

• Headache
• Seizures (epilepsy)
• Difficulty thinking, speaking or finding words
• Personality/behaviour changes
• Weakness, numbness or paralysis in part of the body
• Loss of balance, dizziness
• Hearing loss
• Loss of visual field
• Memory problems

Warning: If you have these or similar complaints, you need to be assessed by a specialist doctor without delay.

When Should I See a Doctor?

• Headaches that appear for the first time or get progressively worse
• An unexplained seizure
• Sudden loss of speech, balance, vision or strength
• Personality change, confusion, memory problems

This content is for information only; diagnosis and treatment always require an examination by a doctor.

Brain Tumours: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a brain tumour?

It is a disease caused by abnormal cell growth in the brain, which can cause different complaints depending on where it is located.

Are a brain tumour and brain cancer the same thing?

All brain cancers are tumours, but not every brain tumour is cancerous. There are also benign tumours.

What are the most common primary brain tumours?

Meningioma and the glioma group (e.g. astrocytoma) are common.

Which cancers can spread (metastasise) to the brain?

Lung, breast, colon and kidney cancers, and melanoma, are the ones that most often spread to the brain.

With which symptoms should I see a doctor?

See a doctor if you have complaints such as a new or worsening headache, seizures, problems with speech, balance or vision, or weakness on one side of the body.

Additional resource

For general information, you can also look at the World Health Organization’s cancer page.