Day 31: Survival rates for adult and pediatric patients with brain tumors have not changed significantly over the past 45 years despite major improvements made in the treatment of other cancers.
A Fact a Day for the Month of May
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Hi - I am Zach and a brain tumor survivor! I was treated at CHOC back in 2017 when I was diagnosed with a ganglioglioma. Being in an out of the PICU and overcoming numerous obstacles through an incredible team has inspired me to share my story and raise money for those who need it.
Please help me support CHOC Neurosurgery by making a contribution to my fundraiser and sharing this page with your family and friends. Every dollar raised will advance CHOC's Neurosurgery department! Additionally, you can ask me how you can get involved too.
Together, we can make a difference!
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Day 30: A ganglioglioma is a very rare tumor type and they account for less than 1% of all brain tumors.
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Day 29: The brain tumor that I had was a ganglioglioma, and a ganglioglioma is a low-grade tumor of mixed cell type and the main cell types are glial cells and neuronal cells.
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Day 28: Children who survive brain tumors need care, therapy, and support to help maintain their quality of life
Day 27: While children are more likely than adults to survive a brain tumor, they often will be left with side effects after treatment and those include: Trouble with hand-eye coordination, Learning problems, Delayed development, Infertility, Return of the cancer, Other cancers, Infection or bleeding problems, Speech problems, or Eyesight problems
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Day 26: Even though the five year relative survival rate varies in every age group, the five-year relative survival rate for all patients with primary brain tumors is 76%
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Day 25: Even though a diagnosis of a primary brain tumor can happen at any age, the median age of diagnosis is 61 years old
Day 24: Overall, incidence rates for all primary brain tumors are higher in females, at 58.7%, but malignant brain tumors are higher in males at 55.8%
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Day 23: Approximately 72% of all brain tumors are benign meaning that 28% of all brain tumors are malignant
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Day 22: Only a few treatments have ever been approved for the more than 100 types of brain tumors. None of these extend survival more than two years on average, or are considered to be curative
Day 21: The five-year relative survival rate for adults, ages 40 years old and up, diagnosed with a primary brain tumor is 72.5%
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Day 20: Brain tumors are the sixth most common cause of cancer related death among persons aged 40 years old and up.
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Day 19: Approximately 81.7% of all primary brain tumors occur in the adult population ages 40 years old and up.
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Day 18: Brain tumors are the seventh most common tumor type overall in adults, aged 40 years old and up with an estimated 80,000 people diagnosed each year.
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Day 17: AYA brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer-related death among adolescents and young adults ages 15-39 years old.
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Day 16: The five-year relative survival rate for adolescents and young adults, ages 15-39 years old, diagnosed with a primary brain tumor is 90.9%.
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Day 15: Approximately 14.3% of all primary brain tumors occur in the adolescents and young adults population, ages 15-39 years old.
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Day 14: Brain tumors are the second most common cancer affecting adolescents and young adults, ages 15-39 years old with close to 12,000 people diagnosed each year.
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Day 13: The five-year relative survival rate for all primary pediatric brain tumors, aged 0-19 years old is 83.9%.
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Day 12: Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death among children and adolescents, ages 0-19 years old.
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Day 11: Because of their location, some pediatric brain tumors and their required treatments can cause significant long-term impairment to intellectual and neurological function.
Day 10: Brain tumors in children can be diagnosed one of six ways, and those ways include an MRI, CT scan, lumbar puncture, PET scan, biopsy or blood tests.
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Day 9: Approximately 5.7% of all primary brain tumors occur in children and adolescents, ages 0-19 years old.
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Day 8: Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors affecting children and adolescents, with close to 5,000 children diagnosed each year.
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Day 7: Most brain tumors in children are located in the back of the head, such as the cerebellum or brain stem, and most adult tumors are located in the front of the brain, known as the cerebrum, but brain tumors can appear anywhere.
Day 6: There are only 7 non-surgical methods to treat a brain tumor and those methods are steroids, chemotherapy, radiation, stereotactic radiosurgery, proton therapy, particle therapy, alternative and integrative medicines, and clinical trials.
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Day 5: Only 23 approved drugs are available to treat brain tumors
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Day 4: Around 308,000 people worldwide get diagnosed each year with a brain tumor, and that is more than it was 10 years ago at around 260,000.
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Day 3: There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors, lesions and cysts, which are differentiated by where they occur and what kinds of cells they are made of.
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I do most of my facts over on my instagram, Tumorwarrior67, but to catch you up on the facts here is: Day 1: There are two characteristics that define a brain tumor, it is either benign which is slow growing and non-cancerous, or it is malignant which is rapid growing and cancerous. Day 2: A brain tumor is a growth of abnormal cells in the brain.
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Today marks the first day of my fundraiser!
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