Brain Tumor Awareness 2021

Even benign or non-cancerous brain tumors can be serious and life threatening. 

 Source:   National Foundation for Cancer Research

Most people diagnosed with a primary brain tumor do not have any known risk factors. However, certain risk factors and genetic conditions have been shown to increase a person’s chances of developing one, including:

• Risk increases with age
• Exposure to ionizing radiation
• Rare genetic disorders like Von Hippel-Lindau disease, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and Neurofibromatosis (NF1 and NF2) 

 Source:   National Foundation for Cancer Research

There are more than 120 different types of primary brain and CNS tumors. They include gliomas, meningiomas, medulloblastomas, gangliomas, schwannomas, and craniopharyngiomas.  

 Sources: American Brain Tumor Association and American Cancer Society 

Brain tumors represent the highest per-patient initial cost of care for any cancer group, with an annualized mean net cost of care approaching $150,000; and the highest annualized mean net costs for last-year-of-life care, relative to other cancers, at $135,000 to $210,000. 

Source:  National Brain Tumor Society

The five approved drugs for brain tumors have provided only incremental improvements to patient survival, and mortality rates remain little changed over the past 30 years. 

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Among children ages 0-19 years, brain tumors represent the largest cause of Years of Potential Life Lost  (YPLL) due to cancer, with a mean YPLL of approximately 80 years.

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Malignant brain tumors cause an average of 20 Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) for individuals diagnosed as adults, which exceeds most common cancers.  

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Brain Tumor Survival Outcomes

• Black / African American people have POORER survival outcomes compared to white people; except for glioblastoma
• Asian and Pacific Islander American people have BETTER survival rates across many tumor types compared to white people; except for choroid plexus tumors
• Hispanic/Latino/a / Latinx ethnicity is associated with IMPROVED survival across most tumor types

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Incidence of non-malignant brain tumors are highest in Black / African American people at 19.45/100,000 persons in the U.S., followed by: 

• White – 16.25/100,000
• Hispanic / Latino/a / Latinx – 15.78/100,000 
• Asian and Pacific Islander American – 11.65/100,000 
• American Indian and Alaskan Native – 10.64/100,000

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Incidence rates of malignant brain tumors are highest in white people at 7.58/100,000 persons in the U.S., followed by:

• Hispanic / Latino/a / Latinx – 5.70/100,000
• Black / African American – 4.44/100,000
• American Indian and Alaskan Native – 3.54/100,000
• Asian and Pacific Islander American – 3.38/100,000 

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Overall, Black / African American people have slightly higher incidence rates of primary brain and other CNS tumors at 23.88 per 100,000 followed by:

• White – 23.83/100,000
• Hispanic / Latino/a / Latinx – 21.48/100,000
• Asian and Pacific Islander American – 15.04/100,000
• American Indian and Alaskan Native – 14.23/100,000

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Despite the number of brain tumors, and their devastating prognosis, there are only five FDA approved drugs – and one device – to treat brain tumors.

For many tumor types, surgery and radiation remain the standard of care.

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Primary brain and other CNS tumors are not staged, but classified according to the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, which assigns a “grade” of I-IV, based on how aggressive the tumor is predicted to behave.

• Grade I: typically non-malignant and least aggressive through 
• Grade IV: primarily glioblastoma, are the highest and most aggressive 

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Public Law 107-260, Benign Brain Tumor Cancer Registries Amendment Act requires the collection of benign brain tumors in cancer registries. The reason for reporting are:

• Benign and borderline CNS tumors cause disruption in normal function similar to that caused by malignant CNS tumors
• Location of a CNS tumor is as important as tumor behavior (benign or malignant) for morbidity and mortality

  Source:   SEER Training, National Cancer Institute

Meningiomas are the most commonly occurring primary non-malignant brain tumors, accounting for: 

• 38.3% of all tumors, and 
• 54.5% of all non-malignant tumorsTumors of the pituitary are the most prevalent brain tumor types in adolescents (15-19) 

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Tumors of the pituitary are the most prevalent brain tumor types in adolescents (15-19) 

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

The most prevalent brain tumor types in children are:

• Pilocytic astrocytoma (17.7%)
• Glioma, malignant (14.5%)
• Embryonal tumors (12.7%)

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor (brain cancer):

• Five-year survival rate of only 7.2% 
• Median survival only 8 months

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

 The average survival rate for all primary brain tumor patients is 75.2%

• Survival rates vary by age and tumor type and generally decrease with age
• For non-malignant brain tumor patients, the average five-year survival rate is 91.7%
• For malignant brain tumor patients, the five-year relative survival rate following diagnosis is 36% 

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Pediatric Brain Tumors are the most common solid cancer among children and adolescents age 0-19 years 

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

Brain Tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death among children and adolescents ages 0-19 years

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

An estimated 18,600 people will die from a malignant brain tumor (brain cancer) in 2021  

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society 

An estimated 84,170 people will receive a primary brain tumor diagnosis in 2021 

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society  

An estimated 700,000 Americans are living with a primary brain tumor:

• ~70% Benign/~30% Malignant
• ~58% Female/~42% Male

 Source:  National Brain Tumor Society