Metastatic Brain TumorSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Metastatic Brain Tumor
View Main Condition: Brain Tumor
A metastatic brain tumor is cancer that started in another part of the body and has spread to the brain.
Brain tumor - metastatic (secondary); Cancer - brain tumor (metastatic)
Many tumor or cancer types can spread to the brain. The most common are:
- Lung cancer
- Breast cancer
- Melanoma
- Kidney cancer
Some types of cancer rarely spread to the brain, such as prostate and colon cancer. In some cases, a tumor can spread to the brain from an unknown location. This is called cancer of unknown primary (CUP).
Growing brain tumors can place pressure on nearby parts of the brain. Brain swelling due to these tumors also causes increased pressure within the skull.
Brain tumors that spread are classified based on the location of the tumor in the brain, the type of tissue involved, and the original location of the tumor.
Metastatic brain tumors occur in about one fourth (25%) of all cancers that spread through the body. They are much more common than primary brain tumors (tumors that start in the brain).
Symptoms may include any of the following:
- Decreased coordination, clumsiness, falls
- General ill feeling or fatigue
- Headache, new or more severe than usual
- Memory loss, poor judgment, difficulty solving problems
- Numbness, tingling, pain, and other changes in sensation
- Personality changes
- Rapid emotional changes or strange behaviors
- Seizures that are new
- Problems with speech
- Vision changes, double vision, decreased vision
- Vomiting, with or without nausea
- Weakness of a body area
Specific symptoms vary. Common symptoms of most types of metastatic brain tumors are caused by increased pressure in the brain.
Treatment depends on:
- The size and type of the tumor
- Location in the body from where it spread
- The person's general health
The goals of treatment may be to relieve symptoms, improve functioning, or provide comfort.
Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) is often used to treat tumors that have spread to the brain, especially if there are many tumors, and surgery is not a good option.
Surgery may be used when there is a single tumor. Some tumors may be completely removed. Tumors that are deep or that extend into brain tissue may be reduced in size (debulked).
Surgery may reduce pressure and relieve symptoms in cases when the tumor cannot be removed.
Chemotherapy for metastatic brain tumors is usually not as helpful as surgery or radiation. Some types of tumors, though, do respond to chemotherapy.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) may also be used. This form of radiation therapy focuses high-power x-rays on a small area of the brain. It is used when there are only a few, small, metastatic tumors.
Medicines for brain tumor symptoms include:
- Anticonvulsants such as phenytoin or levetiracetam to reduce or prevent seizures
- Corticosteroids such as dexamethasone to reduce brain swelling
- Pain medicines
When the cancer has spread, treatment may focus on relieving pain and other symptoms. This is called palliative or supportive care.
Comfort measures, safety measures, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other treatments may improve the person's quality of life. Some people may want to seek legal advice to help them create an advance directive and power of attorney for health care.
BIDMC Department Of Neurology
Erik Uhlmann is a Neurologist practicing medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Uhlmann is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Metastatic Brain Tumor. He is also highly rated in 31 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Metastatic Brain Tumor, Brain Tumor, Astrocytoma, Glioblastoma, and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery. Dr. Uhlmann is board certified in American Board Of Pathology and American Board Of Psychiatry And Neurology.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Center For Neuro-Oncology
Patrick Wen is a Neurologist practicing medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Wen is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Metastatic Brain Tumor. He is also highly rated in 26 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Glioblastoma, Astrocytoma, Glioma, and Brain Tumor. Dr. Wen is board certified in Neurology and Neuro-Oncology.
Duke Cancer Center
My clinical practice if focused on the care of patients with breast cancer, particularly those diagnosed at a younger age and those with recurrence in the central nervous system. I am committed to the care of patients with breast cancer brain metastases, and I am honored to serve as the Medical Director of the Brain and Spine Metastases Program in the Duke Cancer Center. In this role, our multidisciplinary team provides well-coordinated care for patients with breast cancer and other solid tumor types that have metastasized to the central nervous system. In addition, I enjoy helping young women diagnosed with breast cancer navigate their treatment decisions to ensure both excellent medical care and attention to individual challenges, such as future fertility, sequelae of treatment on longer-term health, and impact on current and future relationships. When not working, I enjoy running, reading, and traveling with my family. Dr. Anders is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Metastatic Brain Tumor. She is also highly rated in 10 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Breast Cancer, Brain Tumor, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, and Metastatic Brain Tumor.
You can ease the stress of illness by joining a cancer support group. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone.
For many people with metastatic brain tumors, the cancer is not curable. Prognosis depends on the type of tumor and how it responds to treatment.
Health problems that may result include:
- Brain herniation (fatal)
- Loss of ability to function or care for self
- Loss of ability to interact
- Permanent, severe loss of nervous system function that gets worse over time
Contact your health care provider if you develop a persistent headache that is new or different for you.
Contact your provider or go to the emergency room if you or someone you know suddenly becomes sluggish or has vision changes, or speech impairment, or has seizures that are new or different.
Summary: This phase III trial studies the side effects and how well stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) works before or after surgery in patients with tumors that has spread to the brain or that can be removed by surgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a specialized radiation therapy that delivers a single, high dose of radiation directly to the tumor and may cause less damage to normal tissue.
Summary: This study is being done to see if adding GLIADEL to the site where the tumor was removed works as well as just having the tumor removed with radiation treatment done within six weeks after the surgery to keep the cancer from coming back.
Published Date: January 29, 2026
Published By: Warren Brenner, MD, Oncologist, Lynn Cancer Institute, Boca Raton, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Dorsey JF, Salinas RD, Dang M, et al. Cancer of the central nervous system. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 63.
National Cancer Institute website. Central nervous system tumors treatment (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/brain/hp/adult-brain-treatment-pdq. Updated March 28, 2025. Accessed April 9, 2026.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network website. NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology (NCCN guidelines): central nervous system cancers. Version 2.2026. www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/cns.pdf. Updated June 10, 2026. Accessed July 1, 2026.
Olson JJ, Kalkanis SN, Ryken TC. Congress of neurological surgeons systematic review and evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of adults with metastatic brain tumors: executive summary. Neurosurgery. 2019;84(3):550-552. PMID: 30629218 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30629218/.
Traylor JI, Rao G. Metastatic brain tumors. In: Winn HR, ed. Youmans and Winn Neurological Surgery. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 169.