Secondary Brain Tumours

Metastasis is the spread of cancer. Cancer that begins in other parts of the body may spread (metastasize) to the brain and cause secondary brain tumours. These tumors are not the same as primary brain tumors. Cancer that spreads to the brain is the same disease and has the same name as the original (primary) cancer. For example, if lung cancer spreads to the brain, the disease is called metastatic lung cancer because the cells in the secondary tumor resemble abnormal lung cells, not abnormal brain cells.

• Treatment for secondary brain tumors depends on where the cancer started and the extent of the spread, as well as other factors, including the patient's age, general health, and response to previous treatment.

*For Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment, see Brain Tumours