- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
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- Brain Aneurysm
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- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
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- How to Lower Cholesterol
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- Malabsorption Syndromes
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- Raynaud’s Disease
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- Stuttering
Brain Tumors
Summary
A brain tumor is a growth of abnormal cells in the tissues of the brain. Brain tumors can be benign, with no cancer cells, or malignant, with cancer cells that grow quickly. Some are primary brain tumors, which start in the brain. Others are metastatic, and they start somewhere else in the body and move to the brain.
Brain tumors can cause many symptoms. Some of the most common are:
- Headaches, often in the morning
- Nausea and vomiting
- Changes in your ability to talk, hear, or see
- Problems with balance or walking
- Problems with thinking or memory
- Feeling weak or sleepy
- Changes in your mood or behavior
- Seizures
Doctors diagnose brain tumors by doing a neurologic exam and tests including an MRI, CT scan, and biopsy. Treatment options include watchful waiting, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack cancer cells with less harm to normal cells. Many people get a combination of treatments.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
Start Here
- Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment National Cancer Institute
- Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors in Adults American Cancer Society
- Brain Tumors Signs & Symptoms National Brain Tumor Society
Encyclopedia
- After chemotherapy – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- Brain components Medical Encyclopedia
- Brain herniation Medical Encyclopedia
- Brain PET scan Medical Encyclopedia
- Brain radiation – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) collection Medical Encyclopedia
- Head CT scan Medical Encyclopedia
- Head MRI Medical Encyclopedia
- Hypothalamic tumor Medical Encyclopedia
- Posterior fossa tumor Medical Encyclopedia
- Primary lymphoma of the brain Medical Encyclopedia
- Skull x-ray Medical Encyclopedia
- Stereotactic radiosurgery – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- Stereotactic radiosurgery – Gamma Knife Medical Encyclopedia
Find an Expert
- American Cancer Society American Cancer Society
- Find a Cancer Doctor American Society of Clinical Oncology
- National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute
- NCI Designated Cancer Centers National Cancer Institute
- Neuro-Oncology Branch National Cancer Institute
- Organizations that Offer Cancer Support Services National Cancer Institute
Treatments and Therapies
- Assisted Care Options American Brain Tumor Association
- Drugs Approved for Brain Tumors National Cancer Institute
- End of Life Care (Brain Tumors) American Brain Tumor Association
- Steroids American Brain Tumor Association
Patient Handouts
- Brain surgery Medical Encyclopedia
- Brain surgery – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- Brain tumor – primary — adults Medical Encyclopedia
- Metastatic brain tumor Medical Encyclopedia
Living With
- Brain Tumor Support Groups American Brain Tumor Association
Specifics
- Brain Tumor Types National Brain Tumor Society
- Brain Tumors Types American Brain Tumor Association
- Meningioma Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Diagnosis and Tests
- Can Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors in Adults Be Found Early? American Cancer Society
- Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Analysis National Library of Medicine
- Computed Tomography (CT) — Head Radiological Society of North America
- Head MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Radiological Society of North America
- Magnetic Resonance, Functional (fMRI) — Brain Radiological Society of North America
- Newly Diagnosed (Brain Tumor) American Brain Tumor Association
Statistics and Research
- Cancer of the Brain and Other Nervous System National Cancer Institute
- Cell Phones and Cancer Risk National Cancer Institute
- Liquid Biopsy Detects Brain Cancer and Early-Stage Kidney Cancer National Cancer Institute
Children
- Childhood Brain Tumors: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Brain Neoplasms National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Glioma National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Meningioma National Institutes of Health
Genetics
- Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Images
- Craniotomy – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
Reference Desk
- Dictionary of Cancer Terms National Cancer Institute
Related Issues
- Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer National Cancer Institute
- Recurrence (of Brain Tumors) American Brain Tumor Association
Journal Articles
Español/Spanish
- Risk Factors for Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors American Cancer Society
Symptoms
- Signs and Symptoms (of a Brain Tumor) American Brain Tumor Association
- Spotlight on Brain Tumors: Do You Know the Symptoms? National Institutes of Health