There are many different types of benign and malignant brain and spinal tumors. They are usually categorized by either the type of cell where the tumor begins or the area of the brain or spine where they occur. Ask your treatment team for more information about a specific type of brain or spinal tumor. Be aware that different names are sometimes used for the same type of tumor; the most common types include the following:

Gliomas Ependymomas Optic nerve glioma Brain stem glioma or cerebellar glioma Oligodendroglioma Oligoastrocytoma Low grade astrocytoma Anaplastic Astrocytoma (AA) Gliobastoma Multiforme (GBM)   Craniopharyngioma   Germinomas   Medulloblastomas   Meningiomas   Metastatic tumors   Pituitary tumors   Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma   Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET)   Schwannomas   Pineal region tumors

Pituitary tumors Tumors in the pituitary are frequently benign. The pituitary gland is located at the base of the skull and if surgery is indicated, it may involve entry through the nose for its removal, instead of surgical removal through the skull. However, certain types of these tumors may be treated with medication and/or radiation. Tumors that occur in this gland are also called adenomas. The pituitary tumor can affect the gland’s production of hormones that control the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries or testes, as well as lactation. Therefore, a pituitary malfunction can lead to problems with other glands or organs throughout the body. In addition, due to the proximity of the pituitary gland to the optic nerves, pituitary tumor patients may experience vision problems. Consequently, these tumors often require a team approach that may include a neurosurgeon, endoscopic sinus surgeon, endocrinologist, and/or ophthalmologist. There is a higher incidence of pituitary tumors in women and they represent 10% of all primary brain tumors.

Childhood Brain Tumors
Pediatric brain tumors affect nearly 1,500 to 2,000 children in the U.S. every year. They are diagnosed most often between the ages of three and eight, but can occur at any age.

Children with brain tumors are diagnosed and treated by our partner, Children's Memorial Hospital's Falk Brain Tumor Center. One of the first institutions in the country to develop a cohesive, multidisciplinary program for brain tumor treatment, Children's Memorial treats over 67 percent of children in the Chicago area who are newly diagnosed with this condition, and treat many additional patients with recurrent disease.