Brain Cancer Facts

Brain cancer is a devastating disease. Patients with brain cancer rarely live beyond 5 years of diagnosis. That's why we at the Kortney Rose Foundation are determined and passionate about gathering support for brain cancer research and prevention. Cancer research needs more support to continue making important gains in knowledge and public attention. We have had close contact with the Cancer Institute, CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) for many years and our fundraising and donations have lead to important discoveries. Here are some brain cancer facts so you can understand more about us and the disease that we are fighting.

Brain Cancer Facts: About Brain Tumors

The question, "what is a brain tumor?", cannot be answered in just a quick summary of facts. Tumors come in two basic forms and four distinct "grades." Benign tumors are a mass of noncancerous tissue in the brain that are not actually harmless. They may interfere with important brain functions such as memory, muscle control, and other bodily functions. Cancerous, or malignant, tumors spread quickly and are responsible for the most deaths. Benign tumors are always "grade 1" while grades 2 - 4 refer to malignant tumors that appear more and more abnormal, and according to the scientific facts, attack healthy tissue with greater speed. Finally, metastatic brain cancer is a tumor that originated in another organ (such as the lungs) that has spread to the brain (grade or stage 4). A brain with cancer is always in danger and must be carefully monitored. Here are some other important brain cancer facts.

Treatment of Cancer and Tumor Symptoms Facts

Brain Cancer research has lead to huge strides in the treatment of cancer. Radiation is one, non-invasive method used to destroy tumor cells. Chemotherapy is the other main treatment of brain tumor. Other treatments include heat treatments, immunotherapy, and/or steroids. Unfortuneately, the facts state that tumor symptoms are difficult to spot as there are few early signs, so knowledge of the basic brain cancer facts is essential. The most common symptoms include weakness, difficulty walking, seizures, and headaches. If your family has a history of cancer, knowing the facts could make a big difference.

Brain Cancer Facts: Prognosis

Brain cancer prognosis denotes the outcome of treated brain cancer. Scientific facts state that the survival of treated brain cancer varies with the tumor's location and type, and the overall health and age of the patient. The children patients on which we focus our attention have the highest success rate with a survival of five or more years after diagnosis. This is considered long-term survival. With no treatment, brain cancer results in death within a short time-span. Treatment prolongs survival and greatly improves a patient's quality of life.

KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS

PASS THIS KNOWLEDGE ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

  • About 3,500 children are diagnosed with a brain tumor every year, 9 a day!
  • For every $1 spent on a patient with prostate cancer, less than 20 cents is spent on a child with any type of cancer.
  • A patient with breast cancer has triple the research resources allocated to her when compared to a child with any type of cancer.
  • The funding for pediatric cancer clinical trials has gone down every year since 2003. As of 2008 the amount was at $26.4 million in comparison to AIDS research at $254 million.
  • Brain tumors can occur at any age, but are most common among children from 3 to 12 years of age, and adults from 40 to 70.

Please explore our site to learn more about brain cancer facts, the Kortney Rose Foundation, and our mission. Any donation to our foundation goes a long way toward assisting in cancer research and helping those in need.