Resource library
A gentle starting point
Plain-language definitions for terms you’ll see, plus curated links to trusted non-profit and government sources. Pick what feels useful for where you are right now; you don’t need to read all of them.
Reading by tumor type
From the Musella Foundation, ABTA, NBTS, and the National Cancer Institute.
Glioblastoma
4 links
Glioblastoma
4 links- Brain Tumor Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (High Grade)
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Considered a gold-standard patient guide for high-grade gliomas including glioblastoma, written by the brain-tumor community for the brain-tumor community. Free PDF, available in print.
- Glioblastoma (GBM) overview
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
A patient-friendly walk through what glioblastoma is, how it's treated, and what to expect.
- Glioblastoma (IDH-wildtype)
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS)
A clear, up-to-date overview of glioblastoma (what it is, how it's treated today, and what to expect), written for patients and families.
- Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment (PDQ®): Patient Version
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
The federal government's comprehensive, physician-reviewed patient summary.
Astrocytoma / glioma
4 links
Astrocytoma / glioma
4 links- Brain Tumor Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (Low Grade)
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Patient guide aimed at low-grade gliomas: diagnosis, watch-and-wait, vorasidenib, surgery, radiation, and quality-of-life decisions. Free PDF. (For high-grade astrocytomas, also see their high-grade guide.)
- Astrocytoma overview
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Explains how astrocytomas are graded and what each grade typically means.
- Brain tumor types (browsable index)
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS)
NBTS's hub of tumor-type overviews. Handy when you want to compare astrocytoma to nearby diagnoses like oligodendroglioma or glioblastoma.
- Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment (PDQ®): Patient Version
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Covers treatment options by tumor grade. Useful for low- and high-grade astrocytomas.
Oligodendroglioma
3 links
Oligodendroglioma
3 links- Brain Tumor Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (Low Grade)
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Most oligodendrogliomas are managed as low-grade gliomas, where this guide is gold-standard. Covers IDH/1p19q workup, PCV vs temozolomide, and surveillance. Free PDF.
- Oligodendroglioma overview
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Explains why molecular markers (like 1p/19q codeletion) matter so much for this tumor.
- Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment (PDQ®): Patient Version
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCI's treatment summary, including the role of chemotherapy for oligodendroglioma.
Meningioma
2 links
Meningioma
2 links- Meningioma overview
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Most meningiomas are benign; this page explains watch-and-wait vs. surgery vs. radiation.
- Meningioma
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS)
Plain-language information about meningiomas (usually slow-growing tumors of the brain's protective lining), including symptoms, grades, and treatment choices.
Metastatic brain tumor
2 links
Metastatic brain tumor
2 links- Metastatic brain tumors
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Explains why treatment often focuses both on the brain lesion and the original cancer.
- Metastatic cancer: when cancer spreads
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCI's plain-language explanation of how and why cancer spreads beyond its original site. Useful context when the brain lesion started somewhere else in the body.
Primary CNS lymphoma
2 links
Primary CNS lymphoma
2 links- Primary CNS lymphoma
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Primary CNS lymphoma is treated very differently from other brain tumors; start here.
- Primary CNS Lymphoma Treatment (PDQ®): Patient Version
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Patient-oriented NCI summary on methotrexate-based chemotherapy and response assessment.
Pituitary tumor
2 links
Pituitary tumor
2 links- Pituitary tumors overview
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Covers functioning vs. non-functioning pituitary tumors and the role of hormone testing.
- Pituitary tumor information
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS)
Includes endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery and endocrinology follow-up expectations.
Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma)
1 link
Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma)
1 link- Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Explains hearing, balance, and facial-nerve considerations that come up in treatment choices.
Medulloblastoma
3 links
Medulloblastoma
3 links- Brain Tumor Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (High Grade)
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Comprehensive patient guide for high-grade brain tumors: practical, treatment-aware, and updated regularly by the brain-tumor community. Useful for caregivers of pediatric and adult medulloblastoma patients alike.
- Medulloblastoma overview
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor; this is an accessible overview.
- Childhood Medulloblastoma & Other CNS Embryonal Tumors Treatment (PDQ®): Patient Version
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCI's patient summary covering medulloblastoma alongside related childhood CNS embryonal tumors, including molecular subgroups and current treatment approaches.
Ependymoma
2 links
Ependymoma
2 links- Brain Tumor Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (High Grade)
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Patient-built guide that covers high-grade and recurrent brain tumors broadly. Useful background for ependymoma treatment decisions, surveillance, and clinical-trial considerations.
- Ependymoma overview
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Ependymoma can occur anywhere along the CNS; this page explains location-specific considerations.
Brain tumors (general)
4 links
Brain tumors (general)
4 links- Musella Foundation
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Brain-tumor-focused non-profit founded in 1993. Free patient guides for low-grade and high-grade tumors, a clinical-trial finder, patient-navigation program, and a curated list of noteworthy treatments. Widely regarded as a gold-standard community resource.
- Brain tumor information by type
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
A browseable index of all primary brain tumor types, with patient-friendly overviews.
- Types of brain tumors
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS)
Broad reference page. Useful when the specific tumor type is still being worked out.
- Brain and spinal cord tumors: Patient Version
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
The federal government's central hub for brain tumor patient information.
Caregiver, support, and practical help
Hand-picked resources for the harder parts beyond the images.
For caregivers
- Caregiver Resource Center
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
Practical guides for the people looking after someone with a brain tumor: logistics, emotions, and self-care.
- Patient & Caregiver Toolkit
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS)
NBTS's hub of patient- and caregiver-facing resources: diagnosis guidance, questions to ask your care team, and support navigation.
- Patient Navigation Program
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
A real navigator service from the Brain Cancer Support and Solutions Alliance (Musella + Cancer Commons + Head For The Cure). Their science team reviews your medical records and helps identify the best diagnostic and treatment options. Free.
Getting a second opinion
- Getting a second opinion
American Cancer Society (ACS)
Plain-English explanation of when and how to ask for a second opinion, and why it's normal.
- NCI-designated cancer centers
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Directory of federally-recognized comprehensive cancer centers if you want a tertiary opinion.
- Brain Tumor Centers directory
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Curated directory of brain-tumor-specific centers, useful when seeking a second opinion at a center that focuses specifically on brain tumors rather than general oncology.
Peer support & community
- Patient & Caregiver Mentor Support Program
American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)
ABTA's one-to-one mentor matching: pairs patients and caregivers with trained volunteers who've walked the same road.
- Survivor Stories
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
First-person accounts from long-term brain-tumor survivors and their families. Helpful when you want to read what someone else's path actually looked like, not just clinical statistics.
- Brain Tumor Support Groups directory
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Directory of 30+ brain-tumor support groups across the US, both in-person and online, including some tumor-type-specific groups (ependymoma, oligodendroglioma, craniopharyngioma, pituitary, glioblastoma). Verified groups are clearly separated from older listings.
Financial & practical help
- Financial and practical support
CancerCare
Free professional support services, including limited financial assistance for cancer-related costs.
- Brain Tumor Copay Assistance Program
Musella Foundation (braintumorcopays.org)
Up to $5,000/year in grants to cover co-pays or deductibles for a curated list of brain-tumor drugs and devices: historically Avastin, Temodar, Optune, and Gliadel, with newer additions like Modeyso (dordaviprone). Check braintumorcopays.org for the current list. The program opens and closes seasonally based on available funding; check the current status before applying, and re-check periodically if it's closed.
- Drug Discount Card
Musella Foundation (virtualtrials.org)
Free pharmacy discount card; saves up to 80% on prescription drugs and OTC medications (with a prescription). No insurance, income, or registration required. Compare card vs. insurance price at the pharmacy and use whichever is cheaper.
- Cost Plus Drugs (Mark Cuban's pharmacy)
Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company
Direct-to-consumer pharmacy that often prices generic drugs (including generic temozolomide, sold as Temodar) dramatically lower than specialty pharmacies. Patient advocates report Temodar copays around $6,000 via traditional-Medicare specialty pharmacies can run closer to $120 here. Ask your doctor to send the prescription to Cost Plus Drugs instead of the default specialty pharmacy.
Finding a clinical trial
Our own trials page below, plus reliable external starting points.
On this site
Start with our trials primer
How brain-tumor trials work: phases, eligibility, the types worth knowing about, and where to look beyond clinicaltrials.gov.
Find a trial
U.S. National Library of Medicine
The authoritative registry of clinical trials running worldwide. Filter by location and phase.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCI-curated clinical-trial search with a friendlier interface than ClinicalTrials.gov.
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS)
Brain-tumor-specific trial matching, maintained by a patient-advocacy non-profit.
Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research & Information
Long-running, patient-curated brain-tumor trial database with plain-language summaries, run by a brain-tumor non-profit.
University of California, San Francisco
Trials open at UCSF's neuro-oncology program. Useful if you're in the western U.S. or willing to travel for a single specialized center.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Trials open at MD Anderson, a comprehensive cancer center with a large neuro-oncology program. Useful for patients in or willing to travel to Houston.
A note before you begin
This tool is for education and orientation only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The AI behind it is a general-purpose model, not a trained neuro-radiologist, neuro-pathologist, neuro-oncologist, or pharmacist, and it can be wrong in important ways. Use what you learn here to ask better questions of your care team, never to replace their judgment.