Brain Tumor Information

• There are over 600,000 people in the US living with a primary brain tumor and over 28,000 of these cases are among children under the age of 20.¹
• Metastatic brain tumors (cancer that spreads from other parts of the body to the brain) occur at some point in 20 to 40% of persons with cancer and are the most common type of brain tumor.²
• Over 7% of all reported primary brain tumors in the United States are among children under the age of 20.³
• Each year approximately 210,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor. That's over 575 people a day:
• An estimated 62,930 of these cases are primary malignant and non-malignant tumors.³
• The remaining cases are brain metastases (cancer that spreads from other parts of the body to the brain). 
• Among children under age 20, brain tumors are:
• the most common form of solid tumor ²
• the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, following leukemia²
• the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among females⁴
• Among adults, brain tumors are:
• the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among males up to age 39M⁴
• the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women ages 20-39⁴
• There are over 120 different types of brain tumors, making effective treatment very complicated.
• Because brain tumors are located at the control center for thought, emotion and movement, their effects on an individual's physical and cognitive abilities can be devastating.
• At present, brain tumors are treated by surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, used either individually or in combination.
• No two brain tumors are alike. Prognosis, or expected outcome, is dependent on several factors including the type of tumor, location, response to treatment, an individual's age, and overall health status.
• An estimated 35% of adults living with a primary malignant brain or CNS tumor will live five years or longer.²
• Brain tumors in children are different from those in adults and are often treated differently.
• Although over 72% percent of children with brain tumors will survive, they are often left with long-term side effects.²
• Symptoms of a brain tumor can include headaches (recent, new, or more severe than usual), seizures (in a person who does not have a history of seizures), cognitive or personality changes, eye weakness, nausea or vomiting, speech disturbances, or memory loss. While these are the most common symptoms of a brain tumor, they can also indicate other medical problems.

Sources:
¹ CBTRUS. (2008). Statistical Report: Primary Brain Tumors in the United States, 2000-2004. Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, Hindsdale, IL. Website: www.cbtrus.org.
² Soffietti, R., Ruda, R., & Mutani, R. (2002). Management of Brain Metastases. Journal of Neurology. 249 (10), 1357-1369. doi:10.1007/s00415-002-0870-6
³ CBTRUS. (2010). Statistical Report: Primary Brain Tumor and Central Nervous System Tumors Diagnosed in the United States, 2004-2006. Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, Hindsdale, IL. Website: www.cbtrus.org.
⁴ Jemal, A., Siegel, R., Ward, E., et al. (2009). Cancer Statistics, 2009. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 59, 225-249. doi: 10.3322/caac.20006