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. Brain and spinal tumors usually can be detected with CT or MRI scans. Other tests determine if cancers are elsewhere in the body since the brain is a frequent target of metastasis. Surgical removal of as much of the cancer as possible is followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or both.
Survival depends on the grade of the tumor, which is determined by microscopic inspection.
The median survival for patients with high-grade gliomas is about 2 years whereas more indolent tumors are associated with longer survival. Inoperable cancers are treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumor. There are no established causes for central nervous system cancer and no known preventive measures.