Types of Brain Tumors and Cancers

January 12, 2026

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Yuthana Kong, P.A., Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Duarte.

There are more than 100 different brain tumor types. Brain tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). Certain types are more common in adults, while others are more likely to affect children and adolescents. Doctors determine the kind of brain tumor someone has based on a wide range of factors including:

• What kind of cells the tumor began in
• Where the tumor is located in the brain or spinal cord
• The tumor’s unique genetic characteristics

If a patient has a malignant brain tumor, this is referred to as brain cancer. Brain cancer is categorized based on whether it began in the brain or spread there from elsewhere in the body. Primary brain cancer refers to tumors that first developed in the brain or central nervous system. Brain cancer metastases, also called secondary brain cancer, is cancer that developed elsewhere but has spread to the brain.

Types of Benign Brain Tumors

More than 65,000 Americans are diagnosed with a benign (non-cancerous) brain tumor every year. Although benign brain tumors are not cancer, they can still pose treatment challenges and affect a person’s health, from their cognitive abilities to their vision, hearing or range of motion. The symptoms caused by a benign tumor depend on factors such as the tumor’s size, location and type.

• Acoustic neuroma, also known as vestibular schwannoma, develops in cells that line the nerve fibers in the inner ear. It tends to cause issues with hearing, balance and coordination, including ringing in the ears or vertigo.
• Chordomas are a rare form of benign brain tumor that develops at the base of the skull or lower in the spinal cord. Chordoma is slow-growing and tends to affect older adults. Though non-cancerous, it can grow to affect the surrounding bone or nerve tissue.
• Craniopharyngiomas are usually benign. They grow near the pituitary gland, a hormone-producing organ located inside the base of the brain. Craniopharyngiomas can cause issues with hormone regulation and often require treatment with hormone replacement therapy.
• Gangliocytoma is a rare kind of brain tumor that includes neoplastic cells. It primarily affects young adults.
• Giant cell tumor. These tumors develop in the bone, but they may be found in the skull.
• Glomus jugulare is a tumor that grows under the base of the skull near the jugular vein. It is usually benign.
• Hemangioblastomas are slow growing tumors that begin in the blood vessels, usually within the cerebellum. They are more common in men aged between around 40 and 60.
• Meningioma develops in the meninges, which are the membranes that surround the spinal cord and brain. It is the most common kind of benign brain tumor, accounting for up to 15% of all new brain tumor diagnoses. Rarely, it can also be malignant.
• Neurofibroma is a slow-growing, benign brain tumor that develops in the cells that surround the peripheral nerves in the brain. Though they are not cancerous, they can cause neurological symptoms.
• Osteoma is a form of benign bone tumor that most often occurs on the bones of the skull or neck.
• Pineocytomas are benign growths in the pineal cells. Pineocytoma tends to affect adults and is slow-growing and not invasive.
• Pituitary adenoma is a relatively common type of brain tumor that is benign and slow-growing. It usually responds well to treatment and tends to affect adults in their 30s or 40s.
• Schwannomas are relatively common benign brain tumors that affect adults. They develop in the cells around the nerves in the brain and can cause symptoms if they begin to disrupt how the nerves in the brain work.
• Skull base tumors grow at the base of the skull, behind the eyes and nose, where the skull connects to the spinal cord. They are usually benign.

Types of Brain Cancer

The most common type of brain cancer among adults is glioma, accounting for more than 75% of all brain cancer diagnoses. They develop in the glial cells, which are cells that help support the nerve cells in the brain. There are different subtypes of glioma, named for the type of glial cell they first develop in. The symptoms of glioma can vary widely, depending on factors such as where the cancer is located and how big the tumor is.

• Astrocytoma is the most common form of brain tumor overall. It grows in cells called astrocytes, which are part of the brain’s supportive tissue. Astrocytoma tends to affect adults more than children and men more than women. However, it can occur in children too.
• Brain stem glioma is a cancer that develops in the glial cells around the brain stem. It is most common in children aged 3 to 10.
• Ependymoma grows in the ependymal cells, which line the areas of the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid. It is a rare kind of brain tumor.
• Germ cell tumors in the brain are rare and develop in the cells in or around the pineal gland, which is found in the middle of the brain and produces the hormone melatonin.
• Glioblastoma is an aggressive and faster-growing form of brain cancer that can spread to the surrounding tissue. It can affect one or more types of glial cells and is more common in adults aged 50-70 and in men.
• Medulloblastoma is a type of brain tumor that occurs in the cerebellum and is much more common among children. Although considered high-grade tumors, medulloblastomas often respond well to treatment.
• Metastatic brain tumors are growths in the brain that are caused by cancer that originally started in another part of the body but has spread to the brain.
• Mixed glioma refers to any type of glioma that affects more than one type of glial cell in the brain. Mixed glioma is more common among people aged between 20 and 50.
• Oligodendroglioma is a type of rare brain tumor that develops in the cells that make a substance called myelin, which is part of the protective layer around the brain and spinal cord.
• Optic nerve glioma is most common in infants and young children. It grows in or near the optic nerve.
• Pineal tumors develop in the cells within or near the pineal gland, which is located in the center of the brain. The pineal gland produces the sleep-related hormone called melatonin.
• Primary center nervous system (CNS) lymphoma is rare. It occurs when lymphoma – a blood cancer that develops in the body’s lymphatic system – affects the brain or spinal cord.
• Rhabdoid tumors are rare but aggressive tumors that can form in the central nervous system, including in the brain or spinal cord. They are more common in children than adults.
• Subependymoma is a subtype of ependymoma and is very rare. It is slow-growing and more common in men than women.

Brain Tumors More Common in Children

Certain kinds of brain tumor are more commonly diagnosed in children than in adults. These include:

• Brain stem glioma
• Craniopharyngioma
• Ependymoma
• Medulloblastoma
• Optic nerve glioma
• Pineal tumors
• Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET)
• Rhabdoid tumors

Brain Tumors More Common in Adults

Some types of brain tumor are more common in adults. These include:

• Acoustic neuroma
• Astrocytoma
• Glioblastoma
• Glioma
• Hemangioblastoma
• Meningioma
• Oligodendroglioma
• Pituitary adenoma
• Primary CNS lymphoma