Many people have the notion that having a brain tumor is a death sentence. Indeed, because of the importance of brain function, brain tumors are more life-threatening and serious than tumors in other parts of the body, and can have a greater impact on a person’s quality of life. However, it is important to understand the concept that brain tumors are different from brain cancer, and that proper understanding and early prevention can help improve the lives of some brain tumor patients. Brain tumors can be classified as “good” or “bad”. Current epidemiological data show that the incidence of brain tumors is on the rise as the quality of the population improves and diagnostic techniques continue to improve, generally ranging from 4/100,000 to 100/100,000, with roughly equal ratios for men and women. The types of brain tumors that develop in children are different from the types that are prevalent in adults. As with tumors in other parts of the body, brain tumors can be benign or malignant. Roughly speaking, benign brain tumors include meningiomas, nerve sheath tumors and pituitary tumors, while malignant brain tumors include gliomas and metastases from other parts of the body to the brain.