The following are six facts The Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation thinks everyone should know about brain tumors:
Fact #1 – Every day an estimated 482 people are diagnosed with a brain tumor – that’s about 20 every hour! (7)
Fact #2 – There are over 120 different types of brain tumors, making accurate and efficient treatment complicated
Fact #3 – Some brain tumors cannot be detected by a blood test which makes an MRI or CT Scan the only efficient diagnosis tool
Fact #4 – Brain tumors do not discriminate against age, gender, ethnicity, overall fitness or socioeconomic status – therefore everyone is a potential candidate
Fact #5 – Brain tumor symptoms may include seizures, chronic headaches, dizziness, nausea or impaired faculties including:
Fact #6 – Brain tumors are the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children under the age of twenty.(8)
Click here for a printable Brain Tumor Fact Sheet.
Of course, these are only some of the facts. The following section highlights several additional important facts in a question and answer format.
What are the high-level statistics?
Did you know that every day an estimated
482 people are diagnosed with a brain tumor? That is about 20 EVERY HOUR. In
the United States, approximately 176,000 new cases of brain and other CNS
tumors were diagnosed in the year 2000. (7)
Are the numbers on the rise?
Yes. From 1980 to 2000, there was an increase of nearly 50% in the estimated number of new cases of Malignant Brain/Central Nervous System tumors in the United States. (2)
It has not been conclusively determined what environmental factors have directly affected this rate increase, but the aging population and better diagnosis techniques have definitely impacted these numbers.
How many types of tumors are there?
There are over 120 different types
of brain tumors, which makes accurate and efficient treatment complicated. Brain
tumors are divided into two major categories: Primary or Secondary. Primary brain
tumors start in the brain and rarely metastasize outside of the brain. Secondary
brain tumors (also called Metastatic brain tumors) start somewhere else in the
body and metastasize to the brain, and are by definition technically classified
as brain cancer. For example, Lance Armstrong had a Metastatic brain tumor because
his tumor was a result of testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and then
to his brain.
Are all brain tumors cancerous?
No. In general, since primary brain tumors
don’t metastasize to other parts of the body like lung and testicular cancer might, they are not called “cancer”. This however, can sometimes be misleading to patients and families. Though primary brain tumors won’t
leave the brain, they can still be just as deadly.
Why is the distinction of Primary or Secondary important?
First, there is a great difference in the way primary and secondary tumors are diagnosed. A primary brain tumor cannot be detected by a blood test and can only be diagnosed by an MRI/CT Scan. On the other hand, a secondary brain tumor can be (and typically is) diagnosed with a blood test first (as the result of symptoms elsewhere in the body) and is later confirmed with an MRI/CT Scan. In addition to the difference in the way they are diagnosed, primary and secondary brain tumors also differ in cell make-up. But perhaps most importantly, primary and secondary brain tumors may have very different treatment options.
How are Primary Brain Tumors classified?
Primary brain tumors can either
be malignant or benign. To determine if the tumor is benign or malignant, the
rate of growth and differentiation of cells are examined, through examining the
tumor tissue under a microscope. Malignant brain tumors grow much faster and
the cells are much more differentiated, or mixed, than benign tumors. This causes
malignant brain tumors to be much more deadly and difficult to treat. It is important
to note that one must use caution in describing some brain tumors as “benign” because
upon occasion, these tumors can become more aggressive in the future and thus,
less benign than originally thought.
To help with the classification process, a grading system is used to categorize brain tumors where tumors are assigned a number grade of 1 to 4. “Low-grade tumors” are designated as Grade 1 and 2, while grade 3 and 4 are designated ”high-grade tumors.” The higher the grade, the more aggressive the tumor is and unfortunately, the more deadly. Grade 4 malignant tumors are the fastest growing and show the most differentiated cells and therefore are the most deadly.
What is the estimated survival rate for benign and malignant brain tumor patients?
In the case of benign or malignant tumors, being diagnosed with either one is a very serious situation. Although some benign tumors can often be removed successfully, many cannot be removed due to their location. For those that can be removed, there is always the possibility of other complications. For those tumors that are inoperable, the long-term side effects can be devastating if the tumor resides in a critical area of the brain. In other cases, patients with benign brain tumors can often live long and full lives.
The outlook for malignant brain tumor patients is less hopeful. For the period of 1997-2001, the estimated five-year relative survival rate for primary malignant brain tumors is 28%. (5) This figure, however can be misleading, as it combines all types of primary malignant brain tumors together. The following list reveals the current five-year survival statistics based on tumor type:
Are the estimated survival rates the same for all patients with a malignant brain tumor?
No.
Many factors affect the estimated survival rate. It's important to note that
a “survival rate” when discussing brain tumors is generally defined as living five years from the date of diagnosis. Unfortunately, surviving for five years does not guarantee long-term survival. In fact, the majority of malignant brain tumor patients end up dying from either the original tumor or from a recurrence later in life. A patient’s general health and age at the time of diagnosis play a great part in how a patient may react to certain medical therapies and treatments. In addition, specific types of brain tumors have different survival rates. For
example, five-year survival rates exceed 85% for pilocytic astrocytomas (a
Grade 2 brain tumor) but are less than 5% for glioblastomas (a Grade 4 brain
tumor). (1; 5)
Do brain tumors discriminate?
No. Brain tumors do not discriminate against gender, ethnicity, overall fitness or socioeconomic status. Even if you appear to be in excellent physical shape and work out daily, you could still get a brain tumor.
Are adults the only ones at risk of getting brain tumors?
No. Brain tumors
don’t discriminate against age either. Brain tumors are now the leading
cause of death for all childhood solid tumor cancers, accounting for 24% of cancer-related
deaths in 1997 among persons up to 19 years of age. (3)
Although children have one of the highest five-year survival rates, the effects of the tumor and/or the medical treatments used to eliminate the tumor can cause many long-term side effects.
What age group has the greatest incident rate of brain tumors?
Adults
that are 65 and older are more likely than any other age group to get primary
brain tumors. Unfortunately, this group also has the lowest estimated five-year
relative survival rate – under 7%. (5)
Brain tumors are the second highest cause of cancer deaths in adult males aged 20-39, and in females between the ages of 20-39 they are the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths. (6)
What are some of the symptoms of a brain tumor?
Brain tumor symptoms may include chronic headaches, dizziness, nausea, seizures or impaired faculties including:
Click here to see what else The Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation is doing to help raise public awareness about this disease.
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