1. There are approximately 120 different types of brain tumors. These tumors can be malignant or benign. In either case, they can be life threatening due to their effect on brain function. Established treatments for brain tumors include surgery, radiation therapy, radiosurgery and chemotherapy.
2. Over 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a brain tumor each year. Primary brain tumors comprise approximately 40,000 of these diagnoses.
3. Metastatic brain tumors occur in 10-15% of people with cancer. Breast, lung and melanoma cancers are the most common cancers to metastasize to the brain.
4. Brain tumors are the leading cause of solid tumor cancer death in children under the age of 20. They are the second leading cause of cancer death in male adults who are 20-29 years of age and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women who are 20-39 years of age.
5. Males have a 0.66% lifetime risk of developing a primary malignant brain tumor and a 0.50% chance of dying from a brain tumor.
6. Females have a 0.54% lifetime risk of developing a primary malignant brain tumor and a 0.41% chance of dying from a brain tumor.
7. Meningiomas are the most common type of primary brain tumors. Gliomas account for 44% of all primary brain tumors, with glioblastoma multiforme being the most common type of glioma.

The type and distribution of primary tumors affecting the brain is:

• Meningioma: 27%
• Glioblastoma: 23%
• Astrocytomas: 11%
• Nerve sheath tumor: 8%
• Pituitary: 7%
• Oligodendrogliomas: 4%
• Lymphoma: 3%
• Ependymomas: 2%
• Medulloblastoma: 2%
• All others: 13%