Brain tumours
Brain tumours affect around 4,500 people each year in the UK and there are many different types. Spinal cord tumours are rare, with around 200 cases diagnosed each year. It is important not to confuse cancers that start in the brain (primary brain tumours) with cancers that spread to the brain from elsewhere in the body.
Brain tumours can develop at any age but are most common in people aged between 50 and 70. Brain and spinal cord tumours can also develop in children. Though rare, they are more likely to affect young children than teenagers and young adults.
We do not know what causes most brain tumours. Ionising radiation and some inherited conditions are the only established causes, but these risk factors do not account for most cases. A weakened immune system can increase the risk of developing a lymphoma in the brain.
Cancer Research UK funds a broad range of research into brain tumours. Our research has helped develop new drugs to treat brain tumours, and our scientists are exploring the genetic changes that can lead to the disease.
Related categories
Brain tumours is a sub-category of Children's cancers
Browse content about Brain tumours
Browse news and press releases about Brain tumours
- Brain tumour gene link found
- Cancer Research UK welcomes glioma drug ruling
- Clinical trials planned to test controversial drug
- Discovery of protein link may lead to brain tumour treatment
- Electromagnetic fields 'do not increase cancer risk' among energy workers
- Experts issue warning over private brain screening tests
- Gene therapy could 'train' immune system to destroy brain cancer cells
- Impotence drugs make chemotherapy more effective in rats
- Information from brain tumour sacs may help to guide treatment
- New immune drug for brain cancer shows early promise
- New study shows no increased risk of brain cancer from mobile phones
- No link between mobile phones and brain tumour, says study
- Researchers identify potential target for brain tumour drug
- Scientists find marker that signals better brain cancer survival for children
- Study confirms side-effects of radiotherapy for low-grade glioma brain tumours
- Teen cancer survival on the rise, but more work needed
- Temozolomide sales reach $1 billion
- Brain tumours may need multiple drug treatment
- Childhood brain cancer may be caused by infection
- Diabetic drug protects against brain-radiation side effects
- Eight gene mutations appear to cause childhood brain cancer
- Engineered virus could treat brain cancer
- Family history may have role in brain cancer
- Immunotherapy begins to bear fruit
- Infections could contribute to adult brain tumours
- New childhood brain cancer genes identified
- New research aids understanding of aggressive brain tumours
- Newcastle scientists working to improve treatment of childhood brain cancers
- Protein from frogs' eggs could treat brain tumours
- Scientists find genes that affect risk of common brain tumour
- Statins help kill brain cancer cells
- Study offers childhood brain tumour treatment hope
- Teenagers not included in enough cancer trials
- Vaccine may double survival in patients with aggressive brain tumour
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