Cancers that start in the brain are called primary brain cancers. One or two of every 100 cancers are primary brain cancers. They occur most often around age 50 in adults and are also seen in children. They occur more often in men than in women, and more in whites than blacks. Cancers that start in another part of the body and spread to the brain are called secondary brain cancers or metastatic brain cancer.
Brain cancers are always serious because as they grow they press on and destroy brain tissue.
The cause of primary brain cancer is not known. Secondary brain cancers are seeded most often from cancers that start in the lung, breast, and digestive system. Your doctor will examine you and order special tests to show the size, shape, and location of the tumor within your brain. Other tests involve injecting air into the spaces in your brain and using sound waves. A biopsy may be done to confirm that the tumor is cancer and to find out what type of cells are involved.