Brain and spinal cord tumours

About cancer

All cancers start when some cells in the body become abnormal and multiply faster than usual.

These cancer cells can outnumber normal cells in the area and may spread to other parts of the body.

There are many types of cancers, which behave in different ways. This is why the experience of having cancer is not the same for everyone.

Cancer basics

Cancer is not a single disease. There are many different types of cancers. They can start almost anywhere in the body and can behave in different ways.

The cancer a person has affects:

the symptoms they get
the tests and treatments they need
their chances of recovery after treatment.

How cancers start

The human body contains billions of cells which are dividing to make new cells all the time.

Sometimes there is a problem when cells divide:

Some of the new cells are abnormal and don't behave like normal cells.
They can grow and divide faster, or live for longer.
The body’s immune system doesn't recognise these cells as abnormal so they keep growing.
As more and more abnormal cells are made, they start to outnumber normal cells in the area.
They continue to multiply out of control.

How brain and spinal cord tumours spread

Brain and spinal cord tumours do not usually spread to other parts of the body, but they can spread into surrounding brain tissue and to other areas of the brain and spinal cord.

Whether a tumour is likely to spread depends on its grade. This is how abnormal the tumour cells look under a microscope, and how quickly they are growing and dividing.

Brain and spinal cord tumours are divided into 4 grades. Grade I tumours are the slowest growing and rarely spread. Grade IV tumours are the fastest growing, and often spread to other areas of the brain or spinal cord and come back after treatment. Grades II and III are in between.