National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Brain Cancer is the National Cancer Institute
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Brain Cancer
Also called: Glioma, Meningioma
Cancer of the brain is usually called a brain tumor. There are two main types. A primary brain tumor starts in the brain. A metastatic brain tumor starts somewhere else in the body and moves to the brain. Brain tumors can be benign, with no cancer cells, or malignant, with cancer cells that grow quickly.
Brain tumors can cause many symptoms. Some of the most common are
- Headaches, usually worse 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
- Muscle jerking or twitching
- Numbness or tingling in arms or legs
Doctors diagnose brain tumors by doing a neurologic exam and tests including an MRI, CT scan, and biopsy. People with brain tumors have several treatment options. The options are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Many people get a combination of treatments.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Start Here
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Brain and Spinal Tumors(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
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Brain Cancer
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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What You Need to Know about Brain Tumors(National Cancer Institute)
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Brain and Spinal Tumors
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
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Brain and Spinal Tumors: Hope through Research(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Brain Tumor(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Detailed Guide: Brain/CNS (Spinal Cord) Tumors in Adults(American Cancer Society)
- Also available in Spanish
- Essential Guide to Brain Tumors(National Brain Tumor Society)
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Brain and Spinal Tumors: Hope through Research
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Latest News
- Gauging Brain Cancer Survival Time May Get Easier(04/10/2013, HealthDay)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Brain Tumor Diagnosis(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Brain Tumor Symptoms(American Brain Tumor Association)
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CT -- Head
(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Functional MR Imaging (fMRI) -- Brain(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
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MRI of the Head(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Seizures(American Brain Tumor Association)
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Treatment
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Adult Brain Tumors (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Brain Tumor Treatment FAQ(National Brain Tumor Society)
- Brain Tumor Treatments(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Gamma-Knife Radiosurgery(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Issues to Consider When Choosing a Brain Tumor Treatment Center(National Brain Tumor Society) - PDF
- Navigating Your Care(American Brain Tumor Association)
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Neurosurgery - What Is It?(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Spectrum of Care(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Stereotactic Radiosurgery(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Steroids(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Surgery(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Return to top
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Adult Brain Tumors (PDQ): Treatment
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Prevention/Screening
- Risk Factors(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Return to top
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Rehabilitation/Recovery
- Rehabilitation Options(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Return to top
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Coping
- Coping with Your Loved One's Brain Tumor(National Brain Tumor Society) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Specific Conditions
- Astrocytomas(International Radiosurgery Support Association)
- Meningioma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Types of Tumors(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Understanding Brain Metastases: A Guide for Patient and Caregiver(National Brain Tumor Society) - PDF
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Related Issues
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Magnetic Field Exposure and Cancer: Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute)
- Radiation Injury to the Brain(International Radiosurgery Support Association)
- Returning to Work: Is It Right for You?(National Brain Tumor Society) - PDF
- Second Opinions(National Brain Tumor Society)
- Side Effects and Their Management(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Return to top
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Magnetic Field Exposure and Cancer: Questions and Answers
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Pictures & Photographs
- Craniotomy - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Tutorials
- Brain Cancer(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Neurosurgery - What Is It?(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Videos
- Advancements in Radiation Oncology(OR-Live) - Halifax Health, Daytona Beach, FL, 11/18/2010
- Awake Craniotomy(OR-Live) - Methodist University Hospital Memphis, TN, 4/21/2009
- Brain components - Encyclopedia
- Also available in Spanish
- Closure of Dural Defects after Tumor Resection: Effective Use of Sealants and Collagen Duraplasty(OR-Live) - Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 4/20/2011
- Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Pituitary Surgery(OR-Live) - Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, 5/23/2006
- Stereotactic Radiation Therapy for Brain Tumors(OR-Live) - Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, 6/21/2007
- Transnasal Endoscopic Surgery for Skull-Based Tumors(OR-Live) - Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk, VA, 5/08/2008
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Anatomy/Physiology
- Anatomy of the Brain(American Brain Tumor Association)
- Brain Anatomy: How to Tour the Brain(National Brain Tumor Society)
- Return to top
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Brain Neoplasms(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Glioma(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Meningioma(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Brain Neoplasms
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Research
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Adding Chemotherapy to Radiation Improves Survival for Some Patients with Rare Brain Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
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Brain and Other Central Nervous System Cancers(National Cancer Institute)
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Cell Phones and Cancer Risk(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Genetic Abnormality Predicts Treatment Benefit for Patients with Rare Brain Tumor(National Cancer Institute)
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Using Imaging to Pinpoint Genetic Mutations in Brain Tumors(National Cancer Institute)
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Video Eases End-of-Life Care Discussions(National Cancer Institute)
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Adding Chemotherapy to Radiation Improves Survival for Some Patients with Rare Brain Cancer
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Brain Tumor Dictionary(American Brain Tumor Association)
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Dictionary of Cancer Terms(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Directories
- Find an Oncologist(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
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Organizations That Offer Support Services(National Cancer Institute)
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Organizations
- American Brain Tumor Association
- National Brain Tumor Society
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National Cancer Institute
- Also available in Spanish
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Neuro-Oncology Branch(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Cancer Institute)
- Return to top
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Newsletters/Print Publications
- Headlines Newsletter(American Brain Tumor Association) - PDF
- Return to top
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Statistics
- Brain Tumors Facts and Statistics(American Brain Tumor Association)
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Cancer of the Brain and Other Nervous System(National Cancer Institute)
- Return to top
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Children
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MedlinePlus: Childhood Brain Tumors(National Library of Medicine)
- Also available in Spanish
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MedlinePlus: Childhood Brain Tumors
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Patient Handouts
- After chemotherapy - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Brain PET scan
- Also available in Spanish
- Brain radiation - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Brain surgery
- Also available in Spanish
- Brain surgery - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Brain tumor - primary - adults
- Also available in Spanish
- Cranial CT scan
- Also available in Spanish
- Head MRI
- Also available in Spanish
- Hypothalamic tumor
- Also available in Spanish
- Metastatic brain tumor
- Also available in Spanish
- Primary lymphoma of the brain
- Also available in Spanish
- Skull x-ray
- Also available in Spanish
- Stereotactic radiosurgery - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
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Understanding Chemotherapy
(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
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What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy(National Cancer Institute)
- PDF
- Return to top
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Languages
Brain Cancer - Multiple Languages
