Brain Tumor Awareness

It's true that brain tumors are not as common as many other forms of cancer but that's not to say that they're rare or that they don't represent a significant cost to our society. According to the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, it was estimated that more than 359,000 persons were living with a diagnosis of primary brain and central nervous system tumor in the United States in 2000. Over 51,000 new cases were estimated to have been diagnosed in 2007 with over 20,000 of them being malignant.

Primary brain tumors are tumors that form in the brain and rarely travel (metastasize) to other parts of the body. One area where they differ from most other forms of cancer is in the fact that benign brain tumors are often as damaging as malignant brain tumors. In fact, the phrase "benign brain tumor" is somewhat of an oxymoron. Pressure caused by brain tumors of any kind can be very dangerous and even lethal. Removing them can also be dangerous and can result in permanent damage. Many people who are fortunate enough to survive a brain tumor are left with physical and mental deficits that can be extremely challenging to live with. Many are unable to control the seizures that are associated with brain tumors. Some experience cognitive disorders such as loss of memory, poor comprehension, and attention deficits. Physical symptoms of brain tumors can include just about anything from poor coordination to complete paralysis. Many patients have difficulty speaking or loss of sensation in parts of their bodies. The brain can cause just about any symptom imaginable and brain tumor patients live with the knowledge that these symptoms can appear at any time.

In today's society, awareness is necessary in order to bring about action. There are so many pressing problems facing our friends, families, neighbors, and governments that the problems themselves are competing for the attention of those able to address them. It sometimes seems as though there are simply not enough resources available to effectively address all of the problems we have; however, one need not look far to find resources being diverted to many non-essential purposes. With only a small portion of the money that is spent on unnecessary things each year, researchers could be helped enormously in their efforts to find better ways to fight brain tumors.

To promote awareness, brain tumors need to be discussed publicly. The population needs to see brain tumor publicity repeatedly. We all need to be reminded frequently that there are hundreds of thousands of people living with brain tumors and they need our help. Sites like this one and many others embrace the goal of bringing awareness to our communities. It will only happen when we spread the word. It will take a ground swell of support to accomplish our goal but there are more of us trying everyday and sooner or later we will reach that critical mass needed to be noticed.

BrainTumorBeware.org will be coordinating fund raising efforts. These efforts will hopefully get the attention of many who are willing and able to help. Please consider joining our efforts and giving generously. Keep checking back to learn what we're doing to raise money and awareness to rid us all of the dangers of brain tumors.