Brain Tumor Types

Brain tumors are types of solid tumors that affect the brain and central spinal canal. There are over 120 types of brain tumors that occur in different size and locations of the brain. Most of the time, the cause of the brain tumor is not very clear. There are two brain tumor types based on the causes. The primary brain tumors occur due to environmental and genetic conditions. Secondary brain tumors occur due to cancer in other parts of the body spreading to the brain cells. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified brain tumors into benign tumors and malignant tumors. Benign tumors are slow-growing, non cancerous tumors that are least aggressive. Malignant tumors are very aggressive and grow very quickly. They are cancerous in nature and lead to death. Let us have a look at the different brain tumor types and symptoms in the following paragraphs.

Pediatric Brain Tumors

This grave condition affects about 1,500 children in North America. There are many different types of pediatric brain tumors some of which are discussed below:

Brain Stem Glioma
This brain tumor type occurs mostly in children in the age group of 3 to 10 years. This brain tumor can occur in adults as well. These tumors are present in the brain stem and therefore cannot be surgically removed. The symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Double vision
• Speech problems
• Swallowing problems
• Weakness in arms and legs
• Facial weakness

Craniopharyngioma
This is one of the benign brain tumor types that occurs at the base of the brain near the optic nerves and hypothalamus. This is mostly a low-grade brain tumor that originates from cells left behind during fetal development. This tumor not only affects children, but is seen in adults in the age group of 50 to 60 years. The symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Vision problems
• Weight gain
• Delay in development of children

Ependymomas
These are also glial cell tumors occurring in the lining of the ventricles or spinal cord. In children, it commonly originates near the cerebellum. It causes the blockage of production of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), causing intracranial pressure. It is classified as supratentorial (in cerebral hemisphere) and infratentorial (back of the brain). It is seen in children under three years of age. It can occur in adults as well. The symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Coordination difficulty
• Neck pain
• Vision problems

Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma (JPA)
Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma (JPA) is a slow-growing tumor that occurs in the cerebrum, optic nerve pathway, brain stem, as well as cerebellum. It mostly affects children and teenagers and accounts for 2% of all brain tumor types.

Medulloblastoma
This tumor occurs in the cerebellum or near the brain stem and can spread to the spinal cord. It tends to obstruct the fourth ventricle causing hydrocephalus. It occurs in children below the age of 10 years. The symptoms include:

• Headache
• Double vision
• Loss of coordination
• Lethargy
• Changes in personality
• Vomiting, especially early in the morning

Optic Nerve Glioma
This tumor occurs on or around the optic nerve pathway of the eyes and brain. It affect infants as well as children, and symptoms include headaches, double vision and progressive loss of vision.

Pineal Tumor
This tumor occurs on and around the pineal gland. It can turn into a malignant tumor known as pineoblastoma. It is seen in children and adolescents. The symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Double vision
• Memory loss
• Nausea
• Fatigue

Rhaboid Tumor
An extremely rare tumor that is highly aggressive in nature. It can spread to multiple sites in the body and mostly occurs in young children. The symptoms vary according to the location of the tumor and can cause the appearance of lumps on the body. It leads to balance problems, and orbital tumors cause the eyes to protrude.

Brain Tumor Types in Adults

There are many brain tumor types in adults that are classified on the basis of their occurrence and appearance under a microscope. Let us have a look at some of the brain tumor types and symptoms affecting adults.

Acoustic Neuroma
Acoustic neuroma occurs in the cells that form a protective sheath around the nerve fibers. It generally affects the 8th cranial nerve and also called schwannoma, vestibular schwannoma or neurilemmoma. The symptoms include:

• Vertigo or dizziness
• Loss of hearing in one ear
• Problems balancing while walking
• Tingling and numbness of face
• Tinnitus

Astrocytoma
This is a type of brain tumor that affects the star-shaped cells that help protect the neurons. These tumors are graded I to IV depending on their progress rate.

• Pilocytic Astrocytoma (GRADE I): This is a slow-growing tumor that does not spread to the surrounding tissues of the brain. It is commonly seen in children and adolescents.
• Diffuse Astrocytoma (GRADE II): This is slightly slow-growing tumor seen in young adults, that can spread to surrounding brain tissues.
• Anaplastic/Malignant Astrocytoma (GRADE III): This tumor is aggressive and can spread to other brain tissues.
• Glioblastoma multiforme, GBM (GRADE IV): This is the most aggressive form of astrocytoma that proves to be fatal. It is the most common form of brain tumor affecting adults.

Mixed Glioma
This is a combination of different gliomas like astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. This is a very aggressive type of tumor that commonly occurs in people within the age group of 20 to 50 years. The symptoms include headaches, seizures, nausea, vision problems and behavioral changes.

Meningioma
The tumors that affect the tissue layer covering the brain and spinal cord is called the meningioma. There are three grades of meningiomas according to WHO; benign meningioma (grade I), atypical meningioma (grade II) and malignant meningioma (grade III). Symptoms include headaches, seizures, nausea, vision changes, etc. In many cases, none of the symptoms are observed till the tumor is detected when the patient is being checked for other health reasons.

Other Brain Tumor Types
As mentioned earlier, there are over 200 types of brain tumors. Of these some are discussed in the above paragraphs. A few other commonly observed tumors are as follows:

• Chordoma
• CNS Lymphoma
• Craniopharyngioma
• Pituitary Tumors
• Primitive Neuroectodermal (PNET)
• Metastatic Brain TumorsOligodendroglioma

This was some information related to brain tumor types and symptoms. As you can see, most of the brain tumor symptoms are similar like headaches, vision problems, nausea and vomiting. One should watch out for warning signs of brain tumor and seek help immediately. The treatment for brain tumor is generally surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc. For more details, speak to your health care provider.