Facts About Pediatric Brain Tumors

As part of Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, I am posting some sobering facts about pediatric brain tumors.  This information is borrowed from the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, an organization that supports the search for the cause of and cure for childhood brain tumors.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.

• More than 612,000 people in the U. S. are living with a diagnosis of a primary brain or central nervous system tumor.
• 28,000 children in the U.S. are living with the diagnosis of a primary brain tumor.
• Each year 3,750 more children—10 each day—are diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor in the U.S.
• 76 percent of children diagnosed with a brain tumor are younger than 15.
• Brain tumors are the deadliest form of childhood cancer. Brain stem gliomas, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid and glioblastoma multiforme have survival rates of less than 20 percent.
• Non-malignant/benign brain tumors can kill children if their location in the brain prevents surgical removal or other curative treatments.
• There are 130 different types of brain tumors, making diagnosis and treatment very difficult.
• Pediatric brain tumors aren’t like those in adults. Children’s brain tumors require specific research and different treatments.
• Even though survival rates for some childhood brain tumors have increased over the past 30 years, survivors often suffer from lifelong side effects of treatments such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
• Brain tumors are located in children’s control center of thought, emotion and movement, often resulting in long-term side effects. Survivors can have physical, learning and emotional challenges that will limit the quality of their lives into adulthood.
• Research that focuses specifically on pediatric brain tumors is crucial to saving children’s lives and improving survivors’ quality of life.