Types of Brain Tumors

Distribution of All Primary Brain and CNS Tumors by Site (N= 226,791)
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More than 612,000 people are living with primary brain tumors in the United States today. More than 60,000 will be added this year. These numbers have increased given new legislation passed in the United States in 2002 (The Benign Brain Tumor Cancer Registries Amendment Act S. 2558), which mandates that federal cancer data-collection processes include data on benign brain tumors.

Until passage of this legislation, it was generally accepted that the incidence of primary brain tumors was almost certainly underreported as:

  • Two percent of routine autopsies reveal undiagnosed primary brain tumors;
  • Most states did not require physicians to report the incidence of noncancerous primary brain tumors to state or federal registries.
Meningiomas are tumors that grow on the delicate outer covering of the brain. This covering is called the meninges. Meningiomas account for approximately 33.8% of all primary brain tumors, making them the most common type. This number is probably low as some meningiomas may never be diagnosed. Two percent of routine autopsies reveal undiagnosed primary brain tumors.
GBMs are malignant tumors that commonly invade adjacent tissue and spread through the CNS. “Astrocytoma grade IV,” “glioblastoma multiforme,” “glioblastoma,” and “GBM” are different names for the same tumor.
Pituitary tumors are growths, usually benign, that occur within the pituitary gland and are also known as pituitary adenomas. These tumors can be broken down into two types: secreting and non-secreting. Secreting tumors produce excessive amounts of hormones such as prolactin, growth hormone, or thyroid stimulating hormone. Non-secreting tumors fail to release any hormones.
This is the most common type of glioma, and develops from the star-shaped cell known as an astrocyte. Astrocytoma account for approximately 6.8% of all primary brain tumors.
A rare type of primary brain tumor (2.1% of cases) that develops from cells called oligodendrocytes that produce the fatty covering of nerve cells. Symptoms vary depending on where in the brain the tumor is situated. Oligodendrogliomas are most often found in the frontal or temporal lobes where symptoms include gradual changes in mood and personality, one-sided paralysis (hemiparesis), coordination and speech issues as well as memory loss.
A rare type of glioma (1.9% of acses) that grows from the ependymal cells, which line the pathways that carry and produce cerebrospinal fluid. These primary brain tumors can occur in all age groups. Tumors that grow at the base of the brain (posterior fossa) are more often found in children.
A rare benign tumor (0.7% of cases) which occurs near the base of the skull near the pituitary region. These primary brain tumors result from the growth of cells that during early fetal development fail to migrate to their designated area.
More details and resources concerning these tumors can be found in our Primary Brain Tumor Fact Sheets.
Distribution of All Primary Brain and CNS Tumors by Site (N= 226,791)

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