Benign Brain Tumors

A benign brain tumor is a growth in the brain that is not cancerous. Often, these tumors can be completely removed surgically, and do not usually recur.  

Benign tumors usually grow slowly and do not spread to other parts of the body or destroy nearby tissues. They can, however, press on nearby blood vessels or nerves, causing a complex variety of symptoms.  Benign brain tumors can be life threatening, depending on their size and location in the brain.

The Ben & Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment treats all types of benign brain tumors, including pituitary tumors and skull-based brain tumors.

Benign Skull-Base Brain Tumors

Skull-base tumors grow along various regions of the bottom part of the skull, mostly on the inside, but occasionally on the outside of the skull as well. Meningiomas are the most common type of skull-based tumors.

Other types of benign skull-base tumors include:

• Schwannomas are located in the back part of the skull, and tend to grow very slowly, especially in the elderly.
• Chordomas are rare, slow-growing tumors that are usually seen in patients who are 50 to 60 years old. They are usually located at the base of the skull.
• Glomus jugulare tumors are very rare tumors that invade the temporal bone. They tend to occur in women in their 50s.

Neurosurgeons at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute are among the most knowledgeable in the country about treating skull-base tumors.