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Surgery is a common part of the treatment for brain tumors. Often, surgical removal of a brain tumor is necessary for a definitive diagnosis of what type of tumor is present. However, in contrast to the situation for the rest of the body, the type of tumor may not be important in determining the best treatment or in assigning a prognosis. For example, a brain tumor may be found to be benign when examined under the microscope. But if part of the tumor cannot be completely removed due to its location next to some critically important structure in the brain, the 'benign' tumor can be fatal. The most common benign brain tumor is the meningioma, which arises in the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain. About 15 percent of all brain tumors are meningiomas, and a majority of meningiomas appear to contain some abnormality involving chromosome 22. Meningiomas are twice as common in women than men, and seem to be under hormonal control. If the meningioma is located in a spot amenable to complete surgical removal, cure is possible. However, from 8 to 11 percent of patients will nevertheless suffer a recurrence within a decade. Pituitary adenomas are tumors of the pituitary gland containing cells that appear to be secretory. Pituitary adenomas may or may not actually secrete any hormone, however. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging and CT scans, it has become more common to discover pituitary adenomas prior to the occurrence of any symptoms. Surgery can be very effective for pituitary adenoma; in one study 85 percent of the surgically treated patients had their tumors controlled, and those patients who were treated with radiation in addition to surgery did even better. Gliomas are the most common malignant brain tumor; these are most often astrocytomas, which arise from astrocytes, an exceptionally common brain cell. Low-grade astrocytomas are more common among children; in adults, gliomas are more likely to be high-grade, or more malignant. Glioblastoma multiforme is probably one of the most malignant of all tumors occurring in man; the two-year survival rate for glioblastoma multiforme is about 5 percent. Other forms of brain tumors include oligodendroglioma, medulloblastoma, primary brain lymphomas, and metastatic brain tumors (tumors that have spread to the brain from cancers arising in other parts of the body). (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)