Every year around 600 people in Switzerland develop a tumour in their brain or spinal cord. Nearly 60 percent are men. Meningiomas, a common type of brain tumour, are virtually only found in adults.
The brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system and are thereby the main part of the body that processes stimuli, activates voluntary motor functions, as well as conscious and unconscious thought. Brain tumours are tumours that grow inside the skull, in nerve tissue or the lining of the brain (meninges). The tumours are classified according to the tissue they are located in. Meningiomas are found in the cerebral membrane (meninges), neuromas grow in the cells that surround the nerve fibres, while gliomas are found in the brain’s supportive tissue.
Gliomas and neuromas affect people of all ages. The peak age for neuromas and meningiomas is between 40 and 60 years old.
In contrast to tumours in other organs, there is no black and white distinction between malignant and benign brain tumours. Even benign tumours that do not form metastases can cause life-threatening damage to the brain.
