Each part of the central nervous system is vulnerable to a particular form of cancer. The most common type of brain cancer is a glioma, a tumor that arises in the supportive tissue of the brain. Cancers confined to the spinal cord are much less common than brain tumors and usually involve the meninges.
Brain cancer can occur at any age, but is most common among young and middle-aged adults.
In the United States, about 17,500 brain cancers are diagnosed each year, causing about 12,100 deaths. For unknown reasons, the incidence of brain tumors is increasing. The causes of cancers of the central nervous system are unknown. The most common symptoms of brain tumor result from increased intracranial pressure, either from the tumor mass or swelling. Symptoms include headache, nausea, visual changes, convulsions, lethargy, personality changes, psychotic episodes, or confusion.