Newly Diagnosed?
We Can Help Information for those newly diagnosed with a brain tumor 
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There are no screening tests to detect brain tumors early, so most tumors of this type are detected once the patient already has symptoms. If a tumor is suspected, physicians may use any of the following tools and techniques to confirm the diagnosis.
Imaging Studies
To diagnose a brain tumor, a doctor usually takes a complete medical history and conducts a neurological examination, and obtains a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain. Contrast-enhanced MRI scans are particularly useful in making accurate diagnoses of all types of brain tumors. Occasionally, a computed tomography (CT) scan is performed.
Positron emission tomography (PET) scans can also be used to evaluate brain tumors. A small amount of glucose with a radioactive molecule attached to it is injected into a vein, and a scan provides a picture of brain activity by measuring levels of glucose. Malignant tissue absorbs more glucose than normal tissue and the radioactive molecule makes the glucose appear brighter in the PET scan.
Biopsy
To arrive at a definitive diagnosis, physicians may perform a biopsy, in which they remove a small sample of the tumor tissue, or they may remove the tumor altogether, for examination under a microscope. In rare cases, they may also perform a lumbar puncture (spinal tap), removing a sample of spinal fluid for study.
When a tumor lies deep in the brain or in a critical area, the neurosurgeon performs a needle biopsy. Because the brain is encased in the skull, this can be a delicate procedure. Stereotactic biopsy (a biopsy procedure that uses a computer and a three-dimensional scanning device to find the tumor site) allows the neurosurgeon to navigate instruments to the precise location of the lesion and guides in the removal of the tumor sample, disturbing as little normal brain tissue as possible.
Neuroendoscopy is another procedure used for biopsy. This minimally invasive procedure is performed by a neurosurgeon using an endoscope, a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens on its tip. Neuroendoscopy helps reduce surgical trauma by allowing the neurosurgeon to operate through a small opening in the skull.
Because tumors of the central nervous system are extremely diverse, getting an accurate diagnosis is essential to choosing the best treatment. Having an expert neuropathologist is critical when determining the exact type and grade, or aggressiveness, of a tumor from the sample obtained in the biopsy.
