Brain tumors are the leading cause of death from childhood cancers.  Brain tumors are also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in young men ages 20-39 and are the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women of the same age group.  There are an estimated 359,000 people living with a diagnosis of a brain tumor in the United States.  In 2002, 39,550 new primary brain tumors (benign and malignant) will be diagnosed in the United States.  Of these, 17,000 are malignant brain tumors.  Each year in the United States 13,100 people die from malignant brain tumors.  The probability of surviving two years after being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common primary brain cancer, is 8.2%.  Less than 3% of patients with GBM survive to three years from the time of diagnosis.  These statistics reflect the reality of brain cancer.

Common Types of Brain Tumors

Brain tumors can be divided into two main types: metastatic or primary.  Metastatic brain tumors are the most common type of brain tumor.  Metastatic brain tumors originate in other organs and move to the brain.  It is not uncommon for patients with other types of cancer such as melanoma (skin), kidney, lung, or breast cancer to develop tumors in the brain which require specialized treatment.  In fact, 20-40% of cancer patients will develop metastatic tumors in the brain at some time during the course of their illness.  Primary brain tumors originate in the brain and may be benign or malignant.

Below you will find a complete list of the types of brain tumors treated at the Vanderbilt Brain Tumor Center. 

Acoustic neuroma
Anaplastic Astrocytoma
Brain Stem Astrocytoma
Cavernous Angioma
Central neurocytoma
Chondrosarcoma
Choroid plexus carcinoma
Choroid plexus papilloma
Colloid cyst
Craniopharyngioma
Dermoid tumor
Ependymoma
Epidermoid tumor
Ganglion cell tumors
Germ Cell tumor
Glioblastoma Multiforme
Gliomatosis Cerebri
Gliosarcoma
Hemangioblastoma
Hemangiopericytoma
Hypothalamic hamartoma
Lymphoma
Medulloblastoma
Meningioma
Metastatic brain tumor
Neuroblastoma
Neurofibroma
Oligodendroglioma
Optic Nerve Glioma
Osteosarcoma
Pilocytic Astrocytoma
Pineal Region tumors
Pinealblastoma
Pituitary Adenoma
Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma
Primitive neuro-ectodermal tumor (PNET)
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Schwannoma
Subependymoma
Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma
Sarcoma