Why go Gray in May? Here’s a quick list of FACTS and REASONS!

• An estimated 700,000 Americans are living with a primary brain tumor.
• An estimated 88,970 people will receive a primary brain tumor diagnosis in 2022.
• Approximately 71% of all brain tumors are benign and approximately 29% are malignant.
• The five-year relative survival rate for all malignant brain tumor patients is only 35.6%.
• An estimated 18,200 people will die from a malignant brain tumor in 2022.
• Brain tumors are the most common solid cancer in people ages 19 and younger in the United States.
• 13,657 children are estimated to be living with a primary brain tumor in the United States.
• Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death among children and adolescents ages 19 and younger in the United States.
• Approximately 31,299 adolescents and young adults are estimated to be living with a brain tumor in the United States.
• Approximately 80% of cancers have been associated with the ability to metastasize to the brain.
• For glioblastoma, the five-year relative survival rate is only 6.8% and the median survival rate is only eight months.
• More than any other cancer, brain tumors can have lasting and life-altering physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts on a patient’s life.
• Despite the number of brain tumors, and their devastating prognosis, there are only five FDA approved drugs – and one device – to treat brain tumors.

Most brain tumors are not linked with any known risk factors and have no obvious cause. But there are a few factors that can raise the risk of brain tumors. The best known environmental risk factor for brain tumors is radiation exposure, most often from radiation therapy to treat some other condition.

WARNING SIGNS / SYMPTOMS

• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in speech, vision, or hearing
• Problems balancing or walking
• Changes in mood, personality, or ability to concentrate
• Problems with memory
• Muscle jerking or twitching (seizures or convulsions)
• Weakness of some facial muscles
• Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs

Certain signs and symptoms could suggest that a person might have brain cancer. But tests are needed to confirm this. At this time, there is no sure way to prevent brain cancer! Early detection, age, type of tumor, and its location could determine the patients survival rate… If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, the best way to find it early is to report any possible signs or symptoms to your doctor right away!

To learn more about brain/spinal cord tumors in adults please visit, the American Cancer Society "for adults" and "for children".

Sources: National Brain Tumor Society, About Gray in May 2022 and American Cancer Society, Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors in Adults and Children 2022.