Brain Tumors

After being diagnosed with a brain tumor, you may feel confused, overwhelmed and anxious about what is ahead. This site will provide you with an overview of the treatment options and support services available. We also hope to answer many of the questions you may have as a result of your diagnosis. In addition, we encourage you to talk to your doctor about any questions or concerns you might have. You can feel confident that the caring and compassionate medical experts at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center will provide you with the highest level of care and personal attention.

Types of Brain Tumors

The two basic types of brain tumors are:

• Primary - brain tumors that develop in the brain
  
• Metastatic - brain tumors develop from cancer cells that began growing elsewhere in the body and then traveled to the brain (they are sometimes referred to as secondary brain tumors)

One common kind of primary brain tumor is the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM); about 30 percent of all primary brain tumors are GBMs. These malignant tumors frequently develop in the frontal lobes of the brain, and then typically invade surrounding tissue and spread throughout the central nervous system.

Astrocytomas are another common primary brain tumor, starting out in cells of the supportive tissue of the brain. About half of all primary brain and spinal cord tumors are astrocytomas.

A common primary brain tumor that arises in the cerebellum is the medulloblastoma, which frequently spreads to other parts of the central nervous system. About 30 percent of medulloblastoma tumors are diagnosed in adults. In addition, this category of primary tumor represents 15 to 20 percent of brain tumors in children.

Metastatic brain tumors can appear anywhere in the brain or spine and multiple tumors are common. Cancers that frequently spread to the brain include lung, breast, colon and kidney cancers, as well as melanoma. Although brain tumors can occur at any age, studies show that they are most common in two age groups, adults 40 to 70 years old and children three to 12 years old.

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