Benign brain tumour (non-cancerous)
A benign (non-cancerous) brain tumour is a mass of cells that grows relatively slowly in the brain.
Non-cancerous brain tumours tend to stay in one place and do not spread. It will not usually come back if all of the tumour can be safely removed during surgery.
If the tumour cannot be completely removed, there's a risk it could grow back. In this case it'll be closely monitored using scans or treated with radiotherapy.
Read about malignant brain tumour (brain cancer).
Types and grades of non-cancerous brain tumour
There are many different types of non-cancerous brain tumours, which are related to the type of brain cells affected.
Examples include:
- gliomas – tumours of the glial tissue, which hold and support nerve cells and fibres
- meningiomas – tumours of the membranes that cover the brain
- acoustic neuromas – tumours of the acoustic nerve (also known as vestibular schwannomas)
- craniopharyngiomas – tumours near the base of the brain that are most often diagnosed in children, teenagers and young adults
- haemangioblastomas – tumours of the brain's blood vessels
- pituitary adenomas – tumours of the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland on the under surface of the brain
The Cancer Research UK website has more information about the different types of brain tumours.
Brain tumours are graded from 1 to 4 according to how fast they grow and spread, and how likely they are to grow back after treatment.
Non-cancerous brain tumours are grades 1 or 2 because they tend to be slow growing and unlikely to spread.
They are not cancerous and can often be successfully treated, but they're still serious and can be life threatening.
Symptoms of non-cancerous brain tumours
The symptoms of a non-cancerous brain tumour depend on how big it is and where it is in the brain. Some slow-growing tumours may not cause any symptoms at first.
Common symptoms include:
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