Brain Tumor Awareness

Difficulties with neurocognitive function occur in up to 90% of patients with brain tumors at some point during the disease course and are a major detractor from overall quality of life. 

Neuropsychological evaluation is a sensitive and useful method of identifying neurocognitive function difficulties and provides an opportunity to improve the understanding of cognitive problems and develop individualized treatment plans, including cognitive rehabilitation and medications.

For more information check out this link.

Brain tumors can impact brain function and your health if they grow large enough to press on surrounding nerves, blood vessels and tissue. Brain tumors — whether cancerous or not — can cause serious problems. This is because your skull is rigid and doesn’t provide room for the tumor to expand.

However, some people have brain tumors that never cause symptoms or grow large enough to compress surrounding tissues. Others experience weakness, loss of vision, brain fog, trouble comprehending language, confusion, and more serious structural issues of the brain and spine. For more information, click here.

• Overall, incidence rates for all primary brain tumors are higher in females (59.4% of diagnoses) than in males (40.6%)
• Non-malignant primary brain tumors occur more often in females than in males 
• Malignant primary brain tumors occur more often in males than in females 
• Incidence rates for specific brain tumor types vary by sex. For example, glioblastoma is more common in males, while meningioma is more common in females.

For more info, check out this link. 

• Incidence rates of malignant brain tumors are highest in people who are White; non-malignant brain tumors are highest in people who are Black..
• Individuals who are White have significantly higher incidence rates for glioblastoma, all other astrocytomas, embryonal tumors, and nerve sheath tumors compared to people who are Black
• Individuals who are Black have higher rates of meningioma and pituitary tumors compared to people who are White.

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• Approximately 13.8% of all primary brain tumors occur in the AYA population
• Brain tumors are the second most common cancer overall in individuals ages 15-39 and the second leading cause of cancer related death in those 15-39 years of age
• The five-year relative survival rate for AYA patients diagnosed with a primary brain tumor is 91.0%

For more information, see this webpage. 

More than 1.3 million Americans are estimated to be living with a primary brain tumor.

• An estimated 108,810 people will receive a new primary brain tumor diagnosis in 2026
• An estimated 82,100 will be non-malignant (benign) in 2026
• An estimated 26,710 will be malignant (cancerous) in 2026
• An estimated 18,350 people will die because of a malignant brain tumor (brain cancer) in 2026

For more information, see this webpage. 

Other Ways To Treat Brain Tumors:

• Targeted Drug Therapy: drugs target specific features in cancer cells without harming healthy cells
• Tumor Treating Fields: low-energy electrical fields to disrupt cancer cells' ability to grow and divide
• Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are key to developing new treatments, as well as giving hope to patients that haev tried everything else. 

It's not just a guess. Brain Tumors are diagnosed after imaging scans, including:

• CT Scans
• MRIs 
• PET Scans

Biopsies are often needed to diagnose a brain tumor.

It is common to seek a second opinion to confirm your diagnosis, look at different treatment plans, and make informed decisions about your care. 

Doctors don't know why some tissues form tumors. It could be genetic, environmental, or both. 

Risk factors may include:

• Other cancers spreading from other parts of the body
• Genetics
• Exposure to certain forms of Radiation 

It’s important to see your healthcare provider if you’re experiencing symptoms.

More than any other cancer, brain tumors can have lasting and life-altering physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts on a patient’s life. 

Patients with brain cancer face some of the highest out-of-pocket costs for medical services, especially in the initial and end-of-life phases of care, compared to other types of cancer. 

WINKS Empathy in Action Project aims to help support all Brain Tumor Patients in Hampton Roads. Your support is key to our mission.