Symptoms of Metastatic Tumors

Signs and symptoms of metastatic brain tumors:

The symptoms of a metastatic brain tumor depend upon the location of the tumor within the brain. Some symptoms begin slowly, when the growing tumor causes pressure in the brain. Others appear suddenly, when the area surrounding the tumor swells or the nearby blood vessels bleed.

The most common signs and symptoms are:

• Headaches
• Seizures
• Weakness in the arms or legs
• An unbalanced walk
• Loss of balance
• Memory loss
• Speech disturbance

Other symptoms include:

• Behavior and personality changes
• Blurred vision/vision disturbance
• Numbness
• Hearing loss

Signs and symptoms of metastatic spine tumors include:

• Back pain
• Weakness or changes in feeling in an arm or leg
• Loss of bladder/bowel control
• Loss of coordination 
• Sensory disturbance
• Sexual dysfunction

Metastatic brain and spine tumors are not usually diagnosed until symptoms appear.

For more information, contact the Johns Hopkins Metastatic Brain Tumor Center at 410-955-6406.