Brain tumor classification

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Brain tumor Microchapters

Patient Information

Overview

Classification

Adult brain tumors
Glioblastoma multiforme
Oligodendroglioma
Meningioma
Hemangioblastoma
Pituitary adenoma
Schwannoma
Primary CNS lymphoma
Childhood brain tumors
Pilocytic astrocytoma
Medulloblastoma
Ependymoma
Craniopharyngioma
Pinealoma
Metastasis
Lung cancer
Breast cancer
Melanoma
Gastrointestinal tract cancer
Renal cell carcinoma
Osteoblastoma
Head and neck cancer
Neuroblastoma
Lymphoma
Prostate cancer

Causes

Differentiating Brain Tumor from other Diseases

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sujit Routray, M.D. [2]

Overview

Brain tumors can be classified into two main categories: primary and secondary tumors. Primary tumors originate in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and ependymal cells. Secondary tumors originate in malignant cancers located primarily in other organs. Brain tumors are classified depending on location of the tumor, type of tissue involved, whether they are noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant).

Classification

Primary tumors

Tumors occurring in the brain include:

Most primary brain tumors originate from glia (gliomas) such as astrocytes (astrocytomas), oligodendrocytes (oligodendrogliomas), or ependymal cells (ependymoma). There are also mixed forms, with both an astrocytic and an oligodendroglial cell component. These are called mixed gliomas or oligoastrocytomas. Plus, mixed glio-neuronal tumors (tumors displaying a neuronal, as well as a glial component, e.g. gangliogliomas, disembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors) and tumors originating from neuronal cells (e.g. gangliocytoma, central gangliocytoma) can also be encountered.

Other varieties of primary brain tumors include: primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET, e.g. medulloblastoma]], medulloepithelioma, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, ependymoblastoma), tumors of the pineal parenchyma (e.g. pineocytoma, pineoblastoma), ependymal cell tumors, choroid plexus tumors, neuroepithelial tumors of uncertain origin (e.g. gliomatosis cerebri, astroblastoma), etc.

Secondary tumors and non-tumor lesions

Secondary or metastatic brain tumors originate from malignant tumors (cancers) located primarily in other organs. Their incidence is higher than that of primary brain tumors. The most frequent types of metastatic brain tumors-

Some non-tumoral masses and lesions can mimic tumors of the central nervous system. These include-

References


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