National Brain Tumor Awareness Month

May is National Brain Tumor Awareness Month.  Driven by advancement 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 700,000 people in the United States are living with a primary brain tumor and over 84,000 more will be diagnosed in 2021.

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain or central spine 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 700,000 Americans are living with a brain tumor:

69.8% of tumors are benign

30.2% of tumors are 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 Meningiomas, which make up 53.3% of all non-malignant tumors, and Glioblastomas, which make up 48.3% of all malignant tumors.

At Louisville 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 Louisville CyberKnife are here to help.  For more information about brain tumors and how we treat them with CyberKnife technology, please contact us today.