Brain and neurological cancers
The brain has three major parts. The cerebrum, the largest part, is at the top of the head, and controls thinking, learning, problem solving, emotions, speech, reading, writing and voluntary movement. The cerebellum is near the middle of the back of the head, and controls movement, balance, and posture. The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord, just above the back of the neck, and controls breathing, heart rate, and the nerves and muscles used in seeing, hearing, walking, talking and eating.
Brain tumors are formed by abnormal growths and can appear in different areas of the brain. Benign (not cancerous) tumors may grow and press on nearby areas of the brain, but rarely spread into other tissues. Malignant (cancerous) tumors are likely to grow quickly and spread into other brain tissue. A tumor that grows into or presses on an area of the brain may stop that part of the brain from working the way it should, whether the tumor itself is benign or malignant, and will then require treatment. The most common type of brain tumor seen does not originate from the brain tissue itself, but rather are metastases from extracranial cancers such as lung cancer and breast cancer.