The short answer
Brain and spinal cord tumors are growths in the central nervous system (CNS). They can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). There are many different CNS tumor types, and they can occur in both adults and children. Treatment depends on the tumor type.
Brain and spinal cord tumors are also known as central nervous system (CNS) tumors.
CNS tumors can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).
There are many different types of CNS tumors, and how they are treated varies by type.
Brain tumors can occur in both adults and children, and childhood tumors are covered separately.
Subjective: What you might experience
This section describes the symptoms and history a patient might report to their doctor.
Headaches
often worse in the morning or with coughing/straining; new pattern in an adult.
Seizures, especially new-onset in someone with no prior history.
Nausea and vomiting, sometimes without other cause.
Focal neurologic complaints
weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking, vision or hearing changes, balance problems.
Changes in personality, memory, concentration, or mood reported by patient or family.
Objective: Tests and findings
Neurologic exam of strength, sensation, reflexes, coordination, vision, and mental status.
MRI of the brain with contrast
the main imaging test to locate and characterize a mass.
CT scan when MRI is not available or to check for bleeding or calcification.
Biopsy or surgical removal of tissue for pathologic and molecular diagnosis.
Sometimes lumbar puncture or specialized scans (PET) depending on tumor type.
Interactive anatomy guide
Explore where cancers start and how they are found, on an interactive body map.
Open the anatomy guideAssessment: Staging and prognosis
Diagnosis and tumor type confirmed by pathology and molecular markers (e.g., IDH, MGMT).
Brain tumors are graded I–IV by how abnormal and fast-growing the cells appear.
Distinguished as primary brain tumor versus metastasis from cancer elsewhere.
Location, grade, molecular features, and patient function guide prognosis and plan.
Plan: The treatment approach
Surgery to remove as much tumor as safely possible and confirm diagnosis.
Radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy (e.g., temozolomide) depending on type and grade.
Corticosteroids to reduce swelling and anti-seizure medication when needed.
Targeted therapy or clinical trials for certain tumor types.
Rehabilitation, symptom management, and regular MRI surveillance.
These are simplified, educational SOAP-style summaries showing the kinds of findings clinicians document when evaluating each cancer, based on National Cancer Institute resources. They describe typical diagnostic criteria and workups — not a real patient, and not medical advice. Real clinical notes are individualized. Always rely on your own care team. Based on National Cancer Institute educational content. Educational only — not medical advice.
Common questions
What are brain tumors?
Brain and spinal cord tumors are growths in the central nervous system, or CNS. Because of this, they are also called CNS tumors. There are many different types, and they can be benign or malignant.
What does it mean that a brain tumor is benign or malignant?
Brain and spinal cord tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign means the tumor is not cancer. Malignant means the tumor is cancer. There are many different CNS tumor types, and the type helps guide how it is treated.
Are the brain and spinal cord part of the same system?
Yes. The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system, or CNS. Tumors that form in either the brain or the spinal cord are grouped together as CNS tumors.
Can children get brain tumors too?
Yes. Brain tumors can occur in both adults and children. The National Cancer Institute has separate information about the many types of childhood brain and spinal cord tumors and how they are treated.
Who can tell me which tests I need?
Your healthcare team. Tests depend on your symptoms, and imaging such as MRI is usually the first step.
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-21 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-02Next planned review: 2027-07-21
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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