May is National Brain Tumor Awareness Month. Driven by advancements in research, surgical techniques, genetic discoveries, and much more, it has never been a better time to take action on brain tumors.
The National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), an organization whose mission is to unrelentingly invest in, mobilize, and unite our community to discover a cure, deliver effective treatments, and advocate for brain tumor patients and care partners, estimates that over 1 million people in the United States are living with a brain tumor and over 94,000 more will be diagnosed in 2025.
A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain or central nervous system that can disrupt proper brain function. Doctors refer to a tumor based on where the tumor cells originated, and whether they are cancerous (malignant) or not (benign). Brain tumors can be deadly, significantly impact the quality of life, and change everything for a patient and their loved ones. They do not discriminate, inflicting men, women, and children of all races and ethnicities.
Below are some quick Brain Tumor Facts from the NBTS:
- Of the estimated 1 million Americans are living with a brain tumor:
Approximately 72% of all brain tumors are benign
Approximately 28% of all brain tumors are malignant
- Of the estimated 94,390 people who will receive a new primary brain tumor diagnosis this year:
An estimated 67,440 will be non-malignant (benign)
An estimated 26,940 will be malignant
- There are more than 130 different types of brain tumors, many with their own multitude of subtypes.
- The most prevalent brain tumor types in adults are:
Non-malignant meningiomas are the most commonly occurring primary non-malignant brain tumors, accounting for 39.7% of all tumors and 55.4% of all non-malignant tumors.
Glioblastoma is the most commonly occurring primary malignant brain tumor, accounting for 14.2% of all tumors and 50.1% of all malignant tumors.
At Oklahoma CyberKnife, we treat brain tumors with the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System. CyberKnife painlessly delivers precise beams of high-dose radiation to brain tumors and lesions, without incisions, hospitalization, or long recovery time. CyberKnife is a non-invasive alternative to brain cancer surgery and can be used for brain tumors that are considered inoperable because of their location in the head, for those patients who cannot undergo brain cancer surgery due to their poor medical condition, or who refuse surgery.
More than any other cancer, brain tumors can have lasting and life-altering physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts on a patient’s life. The physicians and clinical teams at Oklahoma CyberKnife are here to help. For more information about brain tumors and how we treat them with CyberKnife technology, please contact us today.