Two subtle early warning signs of brain cancer can appear long before a tumor becomes life-threatening, yet many people brush them off as everyday problems.
As with many cancers, catching a brain tumor early can make a major difference to outcomes. Earlier diagnosis is associated with better survival and could reduce deaths by up to 28 percent. The difficulty is that some early symptoms can look a lot like common, non-serious health complaints, meaning only a small number of cases are identified quickly.
In a research project that involved speaking with people who had already received a brain tumor diagnosis, several patterns emerged. Patients — and sometimes clinicians — described early symptoms that were repeatedly overlooked or explained away.
The study, published in PLOS ONE, was conducted by doctoral researcher Laura Standen. She found that people often dismiss relatively minor issues, such as fatigue and migraines, even though raising them sooner could help prompt earlier investigation. Alongside those more familiar complaints, the research highlighted two less-obvious signs that may warrant closer attention.
Occasional tingling after sitting awkwardly is common, but repeated ‘pins and needles’ — especially when it appears unexpectedly or in shifting locations — is something to discuss with a doctor.
As Standen wrote in The Conversation, ‘some people reported tingling or numbness that shifted around the body’. She also noted speaking with two people who experienced the sensation on only one side.
One patient described it like this: “Half of my lower right side of my face and half my tongue, half of the inside of my mouth.”
Standen explained that this can occur when a tumor ‘affects the brain’s sensory or motor control areas’ — regions responsible for processing sensation and controlling movement signals throughout the body.
Tingling can also be linked to poor circulation, migraines, or something like a trapped nerve. Still, Standen argued that new symptoms — particularly those that are persistent, unusual for you, or limited to one side of the body — should prompt a medical check.
Another symptom raised in the interviews was brain fog. Because it can happen for many reasons — including infections such as flu, fever, poor sleep, or stress — people may not see it as something that needs attention. However, it can also signal that something is affecting the brain.
Several of Standen’s participants reported a sense of ‘general fogginess’, describing problems with concentration, clear thinking, and memory.
In one case, the fogginess reportedly contributed to a missed opportunity for assessment because the person forgot they had even arranged a doctor’s appointment.
It can be tempting to blame this symptom on common life factors, including menopause or a stressful period. One relative recalled: “When the symptoms came up, the answer was, ‘She’s going through the menopause.’”
Standen cautioned that brain fog deserves more scrutiny if it occurs alongside other neurological changes, such as problems with vision or speech, and said those combinations should be discussed with a physician.
There are many other potential symptoms linked to different types of brain cancer. Experiencing one of them does not automatically mean you have a tumor, but ongoing symptoms — or multiple symptoms happening together — should be taken seriously and checked.
The Mayo Clinic says that the main symptoms are: