Imagine being locked in your own body. Imagine not being able to speak, walk on your own, see, or even swallow your own food; while having complete cognitive abilities and independent thought. Imagine waking up every morning and experiencing the sensation of losing the use of another finger, toe or limb at a pace that shuts down your entire body within weeks. You are trapped, without hope or without a lifeline to the world around you. Now imagine you are just 6 years old.
Brain tumors do not discriminate. Primary brain tumors – those that begin in the brain and tend to stay in the brain – occur in people of all ages, but they are statistically more frequent in children and older adults. Metastatic brain tumors – those that begin as a cancer elsewhere in the body and spread to the brain – are more common in adults than in children. Metastatic brain tumors are the most common brain tumor, with an annual incidence more than four times greater than that of primary brain tumors. Cancers that most commonly metastasize to the brain are lung and breast. In the United States, an estimated 61,414 new cases of primary brain tumors are expected to be diagnosed in 2009. Of this total number, an estimated 37% will be malignant and 63% will be benign.
Children with brain tumors have symptoms and needs that differ considerably from their adult counterparts – they are not simply tiny versions of an adult. Children who have brain tumors require special care because their bodies and brain are still developing. An estimated 4,000 children under age 20 are diagnosed annually with a primary benign or malignant brain tumor. Of these, 2,875 will be less than 15 years of age.
The most common childhood brain tumors are different from the most common adult brain tumors in that:
- their most frequent locations are different
- they often behave differently than similar tumors in adults
- they may be treated differently than those in adults
- they may have a better prognosis
Gliomas account for a significant percentage of childhood tumors:
55% of all tumors and 70% of malignant tumors in children age 0-14
40% of all tumors and 73% of malignant tumors in children age 15-19
Source: American Brain Tumor Association.
While the statistics are dismal, there is no better time than right now to take action. We must demand these statistics improve. We must strive to change the prognosis for those battling brain tumors. The brain tumor community, particularly pediatrics, urgently needs greater awareness and increased funding to further research. To ensure that more money is allocated toward brain tumor research, we must first educate others about the importance of this cause.
Become an advocate and join us in supporting Brain Tumor Awareness Month. We encourage you to further the cause by taking part in one or more of the following:
1Sell or purchase chocolate bars through our Candy For A Cure program. Sarris Candies chocolate bars are dressed in our foundation labels which feature awareness facts about pediatric brain cancer.
2Proudly wear or simply display a gray ribbon, as the color gray represents brain tumors. Be sure to tell anyone who asks why you are wearing or displaying the ribbon.
3Visit www.icouldbeyourchild.org to read about the many children afflicted with DIPG and other forms of brain tumors.
4Inspire others to take action and join our advocacy crusade by sharing the story of a courageous individual currently battling a brain tumor.
5Honor the memory of an individual who bravely fought a brain tumor by explaining to others how your life was impacted and touched by that person.
6Express to a family who has lost a loved one to a brain tumor how that individual’s legacy continues to motivate you.
7Make a donation in celebration of a brain tumor survivor or in loving memory of someone who lost their battle with a brain tumor. There are countless ways that each individual can raise awareness about this imperative cause. Listed above are only a few possibilities. If you have additional ideas on how to spread awareness, please contact us at
. We would love to hear your thoughts!
For more information on brain tumors, please visit:
American Brain Tumor Association
North American Brain Tumor Coalition
Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation