Primary brain tumours may develop in different parts of the brain. The common types of primary brain tumours are Gliomas, Meningiomas, Pituitary Adenomas, Vestibular Schwannomas, and Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumours also called Medulloblastoma. Glioma also includes Glioblastoma, Astrocytoma, Oligodendroglioma, as well as Ependymoma.

Metastatic brain cancer is caused by the spread of cancer cells from a body organ to the brain. However, the causes for the alteration of normal cells to cancer cells in both metastatic and primary brain tumours are not yet fully understood. Research show that people with certain risk factors are more likely to develop brain cancer.

Individuals with risk factors, such as having a job in an oil refinery, handlers of jet fuel or chemicals like benzene, chemists, embalmers & rubber-industry workers, show higher rates of brain cancer than the general population. Some families have several members with brain cancer, however heredity/genetics as a cause for brain tumours has not been proven. Other risk factors such as smoking, radiation exposure and viral infections like HIV have been suggested but not proven to cause brain cancer. There is no evidence that brain cancer is contagious, caused by head trauma or caused by cell phone use.