Different types of brain tumour

Brain tumours are classified according to the WHO guidelines. These take into account microscopic structure, biomarkers (explained below), and the grade of brain tumour. 

Brain tumour grades are between 1 and 4. Grades 1 and 2 (low grade) are seen as non-cancerous and grades 3 and 4 (high grade) are seen as cancerous.

Biomarkers

Biomarkers are certain molecules or gene changes. These can give your healthcare team more information about your tumour, how it’s likely to respond to a treatment and how it’s likely to progress.

These are important because, for the first time, WHO classification defines tumours by their molecular features, not just what the tumour looks like under a microscope (histology).

Visit our biomarkers page to learn more about them and find more about getting a biomarker test.

What does NOS mean?

NOS stands for ‘not otherwise specified’. This designation is given when either:

• the hospital where you have your diagnosis doesn’t have the facilities to do a molecular analysis of your tumour, or
• the molecular analysis has been inconclusive.

Astrocytomas are the most common type of primary brain tumour within the group known as gliomas. Primary means the tumour started in the brain instead of spreading from elsewhere. Astrocytomas grow from a type of brain cell called an astrocyte.

• Pilocytic astrocytoma

• Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma

• Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma

• Diffuse astrocytoma, IDH-mutant

• Diffuse astrocytoma, IDH-wildtype

• Diffuse astrocytoma, NOS

• Anaplastic astrocytoma, IDH-mutant

• Anaplastic astrocytoma, IDH-wildtype

• Anaplastic astrocytoma, NOS

• Anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma

• Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype

• Glioblastoma, IDH-mutant

• Glioblastoma, NOS

• Diffuse midline glioma (formerly called DIPG), H3 K27M-mutant

Find out more information about astrocytomas, diffuse midline gliomas and glioblastomas.

Ependymomas are a type of glioma, and are most commonly found in children. They are the third most common childhood brain tumour. These tumours grow from ependymal cells, which line the ventricles of the brain (the fluid-filled spaces in and around the brain).

• Myxopapillary ependymoma
• Subependymoma 
• Ependymoma

• Ependymoma, RELA fusion-positive
• Anaplastic ependymoma

Find out more about ependymomas.

Gliomas grow from a type of brain cell called a glial cell. There are different types of glial cell, the main ones being astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and ependymal cells. Astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas and ependymomas form from these cells. But there are other, rarer types of glioma.

• Angiocentric glioma
• Astroblastoma
• Chordoid glioma of the third ventricle

Embryonal tumours, previously known as primitive neuro-ectodermal tumours (PNETs), develop from cells left over from the earliest stages of our development – the embryonal stages. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of embryonal tumours are medulloblastomas.

• Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumour
• CNS embryonal tumour with rhabdoid features
• CNS embryonal tumour, NOS
• CNS ganglioneuroblastoma
• CNS neuroblastoma
• Embryonal tumour with multi-layered rosettes, C19MC-altered
• Embryonal tumour with multi-layered rosettes, NOS
• Medulloepithelioma

Medulloblastomas, genetically defined

• Medulloblastoma, WNT-activated
• Medulloblastoma, SHH-activated and TP53-mutant
• Medulloblastoma, SHH-activated and TP53-wildtype
• Medulloblastoma, non-WNT/non-SHH

Medulloblastomas, histologically defined

• Medulloblastoma, classic
• Medulloblastoma, desmoplastic/nodular
• Medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity
• Medulloblastoma, large cell/anaplastic
• Medulloblastoma, NOS

Histiocytes are a type of cell that make up part of the immune system. Histiocytic diseases happen when there’s an over-production of these cells, which can lead to organ damage and the formation of tumours.

• Erdheim-Chester disease
• Histiocytic sarcoma
• Juvenile xanthogranuloma
• Langerhans cell histiocytosis
• Rosai-Dorfman disease

Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, which is, the pigment that gives our skin its colour. Melanocytes are found in various places in the body, including in the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain. Very rarely, tumours can grow from the melanocytes in the meninges.

• Meningeal melanocytoma
• Meningeal melanocytosis
• Meningeal melanoma
• Meningeal melanomatosis

Mesenchymal tumours arise from connective tissue. Connective tissue supports and connects the body’s organs, and is also found in the joints. If mesenchymal tumours are cancerous (malignant), they are called soft tissue sarcomas. Additionally Mesenchymal tumours may occur in the central nervous system and brain.

• Angiolipoma
• Angiosarcoma
• Benign fibrous histiocytoma
• Chondroma
• Chondrosarcoma
• Desmoid-type fibromatosis
• Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma
• Ewing sarcoma/PNET
• Fibrosarcoma
• Haemangioblastoma
• Haemangioma
• Hibernoma
• Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour
• Kaposi sarcoma
• Leiomyoma
• Leiomyosarcoma
• Lipoma
• Liposarcoma
• Myofibroblastoma
• Osteochrondroma
• Osteoma
• Osteosarcoma
• Rhabdomyoma
• Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Solitary fibrous tumour / haemangiopericytom

• Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma / malignant fibrous histiocytoma

These tumours are rare and mostly non-cancerous. Most brain and central nervous system tumours grow from glial cells (see above). But neuronal tumours grow from neurons, a type of nerve cell that sends messages to and from the brain. Mixed neuronal-glial tumours grow from abnormal neurons and glial cells.

• Anaplastic ganglioglioma
• Central neurocytoma
• Cerebellar liponeurocytoma
• Desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma and ganglioglioma
• Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumour
• Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumour
• Dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma (Lhermitte-Duclos disease)
• Extraventricular neurocytoma
• Gangliocytoma
• Ganglioglioma
• Papillary glioneuronal tumour
• Paraganglioma
• Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumour

Pituitary tumours, sometimes called pituitary adenomas, develop from the tissue of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is at the base of the brain. It controls other glands in the body, which in turn control many of the body’s functions.

The sellar region is at the base of the brain, near the pituitary gland. Due to their position, tumours that grow here are often associated with vision and growth problems.

• Craniopharyngioma

• Granular cell tumour of the sellar region
• Pituicytoma
• Spindle cell oncocytoma