Pediatric Brain Tumor Facts

• Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death in children in the United States.  Each year over 2,200 children are diagnosed with brain tumors in the United States.

• Overall survival rates are 60%, but the 5 year survival rate for a child with a malignant brain tumor is less than 40%.

• Brain tumors are reported to be on the rise, increasing at an alarming rate of 30% over the past two decades.

• If a child does survive a brain tumor the long-term effects can be devastating because they are located at the control center for thought, emotion and movement.  In many cases, brain tumor survivors live with physical (seizures, headaches, motor deficits, blindness) and/or psychological disabilities.

• Early detection of brain tumors is difficult due to symptoms similar to more common childhood illnesses.  Symptoms include: persistent vomiting, headaches, seizures, changes in behavior or personality, and cessation of normal activity.