What are common types of brain tumors?
The majority of brain tumors are actually metastases from a primary tumor outside the brain. Malignant cancer cells can spread to the brain from a tumor in the lung, breast, or melanoma, for example. Tumors that originate in the brain are called primary brain tumors. Common primary brain tumors arise from the cells that surround and support nerve cells, called glial cells. These tumors are called gliomas. Another common type of primary brain tumor arises from cells that form the meninges, the protective membrane surrounding the brain, and is called meningioma. Other types of primary brain tumors include pituitary tumors and lymphomas.
