The nation's leading supporter of biomedical research on disorders of the brain and nervous system.
Benign tumors are noncancerous, and malignant tumors are cancerous.
Tumors that originate in the brain or spinal cord are called primary tumors. The cause of most primary tumors remains a mystery. They are not contagious and, at this time, not preventable. Symptoms of brain tumors include headaches, seizures, nausea and vomiting, vision or hearing problems, behavioral and cognitive problems, motor problems, and balance problems. Spinal cord tumor symptoms include pain, sensory changes, and motor problems.