How many different types of brain tumors are there?
Each of the cell types in the brain can become “transformed” (i.e., cancerous) and produce a brain tumor, and these tumors are classified by the type of cell of origin. While there are over twenty different types of brain tumors based on the cell type that creates the tumor, only a handful of these are commonly seen. These are called “primary brain tumors,” since they originate in the brain. In addition, however, the brain can often be a location where tumors from elsewhere in the body spread. These are called “metastatic brain tumors.
