Primary Brain Tumours

Introduction Primary CNS neoplasms represent 2% of all cancers and are the sixth most common group of tumours in adults and the second most common form of cancer in children, accounting for 20% of cancers in children under the age of 15 years. Although the incidence of tumours metastatic to the central nervous system outnumbers the combined incidence of tumours arising in the brain, spinal cord and meninges, primary tumours of the CNS present an enormous burden for the individual, their families and the health care system. Despite advances in the diagnosis and management of primary brain tumours and the availability of successful therapies for some tumours, brain tumours remain the leading cause of cancer mortality in children and only about 50% of patients with a CNS neoplasm are alive one year after diagnosis. The objective of this short review is to present a brief overview of the diagnosis of primary brain tumour from a neuropathologist’s standpoint, and to discuss the role of pathology and genetics in guiding management and treatment of this group of tumours.