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Malignant brain tumours can spread beyond the original site and invade surrounding tissue and they rarely spread to other parts of the body. Benign tumours cannot spread and are not cancerous. In the brain, both malignant and benign tumours can be harmful because they increase pressure in the skull. Brain tumours can be primary or secondary - primary brain tumours originate in the brain and secondary brain tumours develop in another part of the body, such as the lungs, breast or skin, and spread to the brain. One of the most common symptoms of a brain tumour is headache, which is a result of increased pressure in the skull. Headaches associated with brain tumours are often severe and may occur every day, typically being worse in the mornings. The pain is often made worse by coughing and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting or blurred vision. However, it’s important to realise that most headaches are not caused by brain tumours. Another common symptom is seizures (epileptic fits), which can cause muscle spasms, or periods of unconsciousness.
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 Other symptoms depend upon where the tumour is located. These may include visual disturbances (especially double vision), difficulties with speech such as slurring or inability to name objects, problems with hearing or sense of smell, drowsiness, problems concentrating, weakness or paralysis in the limbs, or a change in personality. |
