Brain Tumor Facts
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- Annually well over 3,500 children (ages 0-19) are diagnosed with a brain tumor.

- Brain tumors can be malignant or benign. Even benign brain tumors can be life-threatening depending on location.

- There are more than 120 types of brain tumors, making effective treatment very complicated.

- Brain tumors are treated by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy used either individually or in combination.

- In the past 20 years only one new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.

- The cause of pediatric brain tumors is unknown.

- 40% of children with brain tumors will die of the disease.

- Childhood cancers in the United States are orphan diseases. An estimated 12,400 children will be diagnosed with cancer in 2007.

- Among the 11 major types of childhood cancers, leukemia, brain and other central nervous system tumors account for over half the new cases.

- Approximately 70% of children with cancer participate in clinical trials compared to only 3% of adult cancer patients. Many of the advances in adult cancer treatments are due to breakthroughs in childhood cancer research.

- The National Cancer Institute spends $4.8 billion on all cancer research. Only 3% ($170 million) is directed to pediatric cancer research. That’s 3% for all kinds of pediatric cancer combined.

- Improving the outlook for children with brain tumors requires research into the causes of and better treatments for brain tumors.