What are adult brain tumors?
Adult brain tumors are diseases in which cancer (malignant) cells begin to
grow in the tissues of the brain. The brain controls memory and learning,
senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch), and emotion. It also
controls other parts of the body, including muscles, organs, and blood
vessels. Tumors that start in the brain are called primary brain tumors.
What are metastatic brain tumors?Often, tumors found in the
brain have started somewhere else in the body and spread (metastasized) to
the brain. These are called metastatic brain tumors.
What is the grade of a tumor?
The grade of a tumor refers to how abnormal the cancer cells look under a
microscope and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread. The
pathologist determines the grade of the tumor using tissue removed for
biopsy. The following grading system may be used for adult brain tumors:
Grade I
The tumor grows slowly, has cells that look similar to normal cells, and
rarely spreads into nearby tissues. It may be possible to remove the
entire tumor by surgery.
Grade II
The tumor grows slowly, but may spread into nearby tissue and may become a
higher-grade tumor.
Grade III
The tumor grows quickly, is likely to spread into nearby tissue, and the
tumor cells look very different from normal cells.
Grade IV
The tumor grows very aggressively, has cells that look very different from
normal cells, and is difficult to treat successfully.
The chance of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on the
type, grade, and location of the tumor and whether cancer cells remain
after surgery and/or have spread to other parts of the brain.
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