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Brain cancer symptoms

Symptoms you may experience depend on where the tumour is, its size and how slowly or quickly it is growing. Symptoms can develop suddenly (in days or weeks) or over time (months or years).

Many symptoms are the same as other conditions, but see your doctor about any new, persistent or worsening symptoms.

Learn more about:

General symptoms
Symptoms caused by the position of the tumour

General symptoms

Brain tumours can increase pressure inside the skull (intracranial pressure). Pressure can build up because the tumour is taking up too much space, is causing brain swelling or is blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain (see Having a shunt).

This increased pressure can lead to symptoms such as:

headaches – often worse when you wake up
nausea and vomiting – often worse in the morning or after changing position (e.g. moving from sitting to standing)
confusion and irritability
blurred or double vision
seizures (fits) – might cause some jerking or twitching of your hands, arms or legs, or affect the whole body
weakness in parts of the body
poor coordination
drowsiness or loss of consciousness
difficulty speaking or finding the right words.

Learn more about specific symptoms caused by the location of the tumour below.

Having a brain tumour is stressful and upsetting. Experienced counsellors, psychologists or psychiatrists can offer coping strategies and ways to manage any mood swings or behavioural changes. Call Cancer Council 13 11 20 for information or support.

Symptoms caused by the position of the tumor

Other symptoms depend on where the tumour is located in the brain or spinal cord – see below for more on this.

Common tumour symptoms

The symptoms you experience will depend on where the tumour is in the brain or spinal cord. See the previous page for general symptoms caused by pressure in the skull.

Description of common Brain tumour symptoms

Part of the brain	Symptoms
Frontal lobe	difficulty with planning or organising activities changes in behaviour, personality and social skills depression or mood swings weakness in part of the face, or on one side of the body difficulty walking loss of sense of smell problems with seeing or speaking trouble finding the right word
Parietal lobe	problems with reading or writing loss of feeling in part of the body difficulty telling left from right difficulty locating objects around you
Temporal lobe	forgetting events and conversations difficulty understanding what is said to you or recognising sounds trouble learning and remembering new information seizures with strange feelings, smells or deja vu
Occipital lobe	loss of all or some vision
Meninges	headaches vomiting weakness in arms or legs personality changes or confusion
Cerebellum	coordination and balance problems uncontrolled eye movement stiff neck dizziness difficulty speaking (staccato speech)
Spinal cord	back and neck pain numbness or tingling in the arms or legs change to muscle tone in the arms or legs clumsiness or difficulty walking loss of bowel or bladder control (incontinence) change in the feeling in the genital or anal area or erection problems
Pituitary gland	headaches loss of vision (often side or peripheral vision) nausea or vomiting erection problems less interest in sex thyroid and other hormone changes
Brain stem	coordination problems difficulty swallowing or speaking double vision weakness and numbness in part of the face weakness in the arms or legs fatigue changes to sleep/wake patterns

Nerve tumours and other tumours

Symptoms of tumours starting in the brain’s nerves (cranial nerves) depend on the affected nerve. The most common nerve tumours are vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas). They can cause hearing loss, dizziness and balance issues. Vestibular schwannomas are usually benign. Tumours of the pineal gland (deep within the brain) are very rare and usually classified as neuroendocrine tumours.

→ READ MORE: Brain cancer diagnosis

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Understanding Brain Tumours

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This information was last reviewed in June 2024. View who reviewed this content.

Prof Lindy Jeffree, Director of Neurosurgery, Alfred Health, VIC; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Prof Tamara Ownsworth, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Research Director, The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University, QLD; A/Prof Hao-Wen Sim, Medical Oncologist, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Megan Trevethan, Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapy – Cancer and Lymphoedema Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, QLD; Chris Twyford, Cancer Specialist Nurse, Canberra Health Services, Cancer and Ambulatory Support, ACT; Dr Adam Wells, Clinical Academic Consultant Neurosurgeon, The University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA.

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