The brain consists of different kinds of tissues
and cells. This is important to understand, because
different types of benign (not cancerous) and
malignant (cancerous) tumors can start in these
different cell and tissue types. These different
types of tumors vary in prognosis (survival)
and the ways they are treated.
Any of the different types of tissues or cells within
the brain or spinal cord can become cancerous. Tumors
that start in other organs such as the lung or breast
and then spread, or metastasize, to the brain are
called metastatic brain cancers and those that start
in the brain are called primary brain cancers. Metastatic
tumors to the brain are more common than primary
brain tumors. Unlike other cancers, tumors arising
within the brain or spinal cord rarely metastasize
to distant organs. They cause damage because they
spread locally and destroy normal tissue in the place
where they arise
Brain cancer accounts for approximately 1.4% of all
cancers and 2.3% of all cancer-related deaths.
Source: American Cancer Society
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