The Key Statistics About Brain and Spinal Cord Cancers

Malignant brain and spinal cord tumors, the second most common cancers in children (after leukemia), account for about 17% of malignant tumors. Around 3,200 central nervous system tumors are diagnosed each year in children under the age of 20. About one fourth of these are considered benign tumors. The incidence (number per 100,000 children) of these cancers has not changed much in recent years.

Over one half of patients with childhood brain tumors (all types combined) survive longer than 5 years. The outlook varies according to the type and location of the tumor. For example, approximately 90% of astrocytomas of the cerebellum are cured by surgery.