Brain Tumor Types (http://www.braintumor.

org/patients-family-friends/about-brain-tumors/tumor-types/)
There are more than 120 types of brain tumors. Today, most medical institutions use the World Health Organization (WHO) classification system to identify brain tumors. The WHO classifies brain tumors by cell origin and how the cells behave, from the least aggressive (benign) to the most aggressive (malignant). Some tumor types are assigned a grade, ranging from Grade I (least malignant) to Grade IV (most malignant), which signifies the rate of growth. There are variations in grading systems, depending on the tumor type. The classification and grade of an individual tumor help predict its likely behavior. This section describes the most frequently diagnosed types. Click on the links below for more information on specific tumor types.

Acoustic Neuroma Astrocytoma:

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Grade I - Pilocytic Astrocytoma Grade II - Low-grade Astrocytoma Grade III - Anaplastic Astrocytoma Grade IV - Glioblastoma (GBM)

Chordoma CNS Lymphoma Craniopharyngioma Other Gliomas:

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Brain Stem Glioma Ependymoma Mixed Glioma Optic Nerve Glioma Subependymoma

Medulloblastoma Meningioma Metastatic Brain Tumors Oligodendroglioma Pituitary Tumors Primitive Neuroectodermal (PNET) Other Brain-Related Conditions Schwannoma

The following tumor types are more common in children than in adults:

Brain Stem Glioma Craniopharyngioma Ependymoma Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma (JPA) Medulloblastoma Optic Nerve Glioma Pineal Tumor Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors (PNET) Rhabdoid Tumor

Keep in mind that many tumors have different subtypes; for example, an astrocytoma can be a juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma, an anaplastic astrocytoma or a glioblastoma. In addition, the same tumors sometimes have different names; even pathologists are not always consistent in what they call them. Finally, it is important to note that nonmalignant, or benign, brain tumors can be just as difficult to treat as malignant brain tumors.

Brain Tumor Types (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_tumor)

Tumors can be benign or malignant, can occur in different parts of the brain, and may or may not be primary tumors. A primary tumor is one that has started in the brain, as opposed to a metastatictumor, [4] which is something that has spread to the brain from another part of the body. Tumors may or may not be symptomatic: some tumors are discovered because the patient has symptoms, others show up incidentally on an imaging scan, or at an autopsy. The most common primary brain tumors are: Gliomas (50.3%) Meningiomas (20.9%) Pituitary adenomas (15%) Nerve sheath tumors (8%)
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(World Health Organization grading system)

Grade I tumor

Benign = non-cancerous Slow growing Cells look almost normal under a microscope Usually associated with long-term survival Rare in adults

Grade II tumor

Relatively slow growing Sometimes spreads to nearby normal tissue and comes back (recurs) Cells look slightly abnormal under a microscope Sometimes comes back as a higher grade tumor

Grade III tumor

Malignant = cancerous Actively reproduces abnormal cells Tumor spreads into nearby normal parts of the brain Cells look abnormal under a microscope Tends to come back, often as a higher grade tumor

Grade IV tumor

Most malignant Grows fast Easily spreads into nearby normal parts of the brain Actively reproduces abnormal cells Cells look very abnormal under a microscope Tumor forms new blood vessels to maintain rapid growth Tumors have areas of dead cells in their center (called necrosis)