No formal staging system exists for brain tumors because they almost never spread to other parts of the body. Their main danger is their ability to disrupt vital operations of the brain, which are essential to all the body’s major functions.
Brain tumors are assigned grades according to how fast they grow and how different-from-normal their cells look to a pathologist examining them under a microscope.
Brain Tumor Grades
Grades indicate how fast the tumor is likely to grow and how abnormal the cells look under a microscope when a pathologist examines them. Grades range from I (low) to IV (high).
- Grade I: This tumor grows slowly and has cells that look very similar to normal ones. It is not likely to spread into nearby tissues.
- Grade II: This tumor is also slow growing but has the ability to spread into brain tissue nearby. It may progress to a higher grade, and it may recur (come back) after removal.
- Grade III: The tumor cells look very different than normal ones. The tumor grows quickly, and it is likely to spread into nearby brain tissue.
- Grade IV: Cells do not resemble normal cells, and the tumor grows and spreads into nearby tissue very quickly. Grade IV tumors are more difficult to cure than lower-grade tumors.
Factors that influence the outcome of a brain tumor include the tumor’s grade, the age of the patient, where the tumor is, and whether it has spread to other parts of the central nervous system.
Learn more about brain tumors:
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