Pediatric Brain Tumors

                                    

Facts about pediatric brain tumors  (THESE ARE REAL & VERY TRUE!)

•Each year 4,200 more children—11.5 each day—are diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor in the U.S.
•72 percent of children diagnosed with a brain tumor are younger than 15.2

•Brain tumors are the deadliest form of childhood cancer. Some tumors, such as atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors and some brain stem gliomas, 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.

•More than 612,000 people in the U. S. were living with a diagnosis of a primary brain or central nervous system tumor in the United States in 2004.  Of this number, approximately 28,000 were children with a primary brain tumors.

•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.