The location of the tumour determines the symptoms resulting from a brain metastasis. For example, vision issues could result from a tumour in the part of the brain responsible for visual processing.

While each patient experiences brain metastases differently, typical symptoms include:

• Seizures
• Headaches (sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomit) especially in the morning)
• Hemiparesis is the inability to utilise one arm or leg due to weakness on that side of the body
• Cognitive issues, such as mood swings and short-term memory loss
• Inability to speak or comprehend speech
• Issues with vision, especially one side at a time

Brain metastases can also cause severe symptoms by:

• Increasing pressure on the surrounding tissue
• Occupying space and raising the intracranial pressure (the pressure inside the skull)
• Causing the brain’s fluid to accumulate
• Preventing the natural flow of cerebrospinal fluid through the brain’s cavities
• Resulting in cerebral haemorrhage

These are the most typical types of brain metastases:

• Lung cancer: Metastatic brain cancer occurs in around 50% of cases of lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer is associated with a high incidence of brain metastases.
• Breast cancer: Brain metastases occur in 10–15% of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Triple-negative and HER2+ breast cancers are more likely to develop metastatic brain tumours.
• Melanoma: Brain metastases are seen in almost half of cases of melanoma patients.