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

Schwannomas These benign tumors can occur in the brain or in the spine. They arise from supporting cells of cranial nerves and are most common on the nerves that control hearing and balance. When schwannomas involve these nerves, they are called vestibular schwannomas or acoustic neuromas. Commonly, they present with loss of hearing and occasionally with loss of balance or problems with weakness on one side of the face. Surgery can be difficult due to the vital structures surrounding these tumors. Radiation may be recommended, either as initial treatment or following surgery. Women have a higher incidence of schwannomas; they account for 7.5% 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.