About Types of Brain Cancer

The American Cancer Society states that the term "brain cancer" is not used as often as "brain tumor." Even though some brain tumors are not cancerous, they can still grow and cause damage to the brain and other problems throughout the body. When a brain tumor is cancerous, the growth of the tumor not only causes damage to the nervous system, but the cancerous cells can spread to other parts of the body as well, although they often remain localized to the brain. The types of brain tumors that are cancerous can often have "subtypes" below them.

Gliomas

A glioma can be one of many types of tumors that start in the glial cells. According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, glial cells help protect and support critical regions of the brain. Once a brain tumor is typed as a glioma, it is put into another classification, based upon the type of glial cells it has affected. Types of gliomas are astrocytomas, which affect the astro "star shaped" cells that protect neurons in the brain; ependymomas, which affect the ependymal cells, which line pathways that spinal fluid takes to travel throughout the brain; and oligodendrogliomas, which affect the cells that produce myelin, which is a substance that puts a protective shield around the brain's nerve cells.

Meningiomas

A meningioma is a tumor that begins in the layers of tissue that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. The National Cancer Institute reports that there are two types of meningiomas. Grade 1 meningioma, the most common type, is a benign tumor that often forms in the tissues that are close to the skull. Grade II or III meningiomas are rare, but serious. They are fast growing, malignant tumors, and spread quickly throughout the brain and into the spinal cord.

Schwannomas

The Schwann cells are the cells that produce myelin in the cranial and peripheral nerves, and when cancerous cells develop here the tumors are called Schwannomas. There are different types of Schwannomas. A vestibular Schwannoma affects the cranial nerve and can therefore affect a person's balance. They can also start in the spinal cord and then travel to the brain. They can compress the spinal cord, causing a loss of nerve sensation, as well as bowel and bladder problems. The American Cancer Society states that a Schwannoma that develops at the cranial nerve is also referred to as an acoustic neuroma.

Medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is a rare brain tumor that affects children. The MD Anderson Cancer Center reports that it accounts for 25 percent of all child brain cancers, and it is usually diagnosed before a child reaches 10 years of age. It begins in the cerebellum, which is a part of the brain that controls muscle movement, but it can spread to nearby areas of the brain. If the cancerous cells get into spinal fluid, it can then spread to other parts of the body.