Brain Tumors: Who Gets Them and What Is the Survival Rate?

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, about 80,000 men, women, and children were expected to be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor during 2017. (1) The estimate includes both benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) brain tumors. The American Cancer Society predicts that in 2018, about 23,880 people will be diagnosed with a malignant brain or spinal cord tumor and about 70 percent of those with a malignant tumor will not survive as a result of their diagnosis. (2)

Here’s what you need to know about brain tumor prevalence and survival rates based on the type of brain tumor, age, sex, and race.

The Most Prevalent Types of Brain Tumors

There are more than 120 known types of brain tumors, with some more prevalent than others. (3)

Of all the types of brain tumors, meningioma, glioma, and glioblastoma are the most common. Meningioma, a tumor that arises from the meninges, represents 36.6 percent of all primary brain tumors, making them the most common primary brain tumor. Most are slow-growing and benign. Glioma, a broad category of tumor that includes all tumors within the gluey or supportive tissue of the brain, accounts for 24.7 percent of all primary brain tumors. Of the malignant brain tumors, 74.6 percent are gliomas. (1)

Glioblastomas are a subset of gliomas that arise from astrocytes, or the star-shaped cells in the brain. These tumors represent 14.9 percent of all primary brain tumors and 55.4 percent of all gliomas. Glioblastomas are highly malignant because the cells reproduce quickly and are fed by a large network of blood vessels. (4)

Do Brain Tumors Affect Men and Women Differently?

The chance that an individual develops a brain tumor is very small, with a lifetime risk of 1 percent or less. But there is a slight variation in the risk of developing a brain tumor for males and females. (1)

According to a study published in 2015 in the journal Cellular and Molecular Life Science, males not only develop more cancers, but they frequently have poorer responses to therapy as measured by overall brain tumor rates and survival rates. (5) In 2016, an estimated 13,450 men had a brain tumor in comparison to 10,350 women. (6)

It is unclear why men have a predisposition towards developing more cancer; biological factors may describe the differences in rates of brain tumors in a certain sex. According to a study published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, hormonal differences could result in different prevalence rates between men and women. (7) “Meningioma is more common in women than men,” says Harmon Eyre, MD, former chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, “probably because this particular tumor has estrogen and progestin receptors.” (6,7) Other cancers and brain tumors, such as Hodgkin lymphoma, occur in more men than women, and professionals are not entirely sure why that’s the case. (7,8)

Brain Tumors in Children and Adults

Brain tumors can appear differently in children in comparison to adults. The median age for all primary brain tumors is 59, but brain tumors are the most common form of solid tumors among children under age 15, and represent about 20 percent of all childhood cancers. (1,9)

It is estimated that more than 4,800 children and adolescents received a diagnosis of primary brain tumor, either benign or malignant, in 2017. Although children of any age may be affected, brain tumors are the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for children up to age 14. (1)

The most common brain tumors in children are:

• Astrocytomas
• Medulloblastomas
• Ependymomas
• Brainstem gliomas (10)

Brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the third most common cancer and third most common cause of cancer death occurring among adolescents and young adults between age 15 and 39. (1)

How Many People Survive a Brain Tumor Diagnosis?

Survival rates give a general idea of the outlook or prognosis of a certain brain tumor. They provide a better understanding about how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.

The risk of developing a brain tumor is quite low. Less than 1 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with a brain or CNS tumor during their lifetime, based on 2010–2014 data on new cases and deaths. (11)

According to the 2016 report by the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, the risk of American males developing a primary malignant brain or CNS tumor is 0.69 percent, and the risk of dying from this diagnosis is 0.51 percent. The risk of females developing a primary malignant brain or CNS tumor is slightly smaller at 0.55 percent, with a 0.41 percent risk of dying. (12)

The five-year relative survival rate, or a comparison of survival rates for those with a brain tumor in the United States versus the survival rate of the overall U.S. population, for those with a brain or CNS tumor is 33.6 percent. In other words, on average, those with a brain or CNS tumor are 33.6 percent as likely to live for at least five years after being diagnosed as those who do not have a brain tumor. (11)

Additional Reporting by Nicol Natale.