Brain Cancer Awareness Month: Honoring Strength, Advancing Hope
Article contributed by Audra Stewart-Gordon, Community Health and Communications Coordinator
Every May, Brain Cancer Awareness Month brings attention to one of the most complex and challenging forms of cancer. While brain tumors account for a relatively small percentage of overall cancer diagnoses, their impact on patients, families, and healthcare providers is profound. This month is about raising awareness, supporting those affected, and accelerating research efforts to better understand and treat brain cancers.
Why Awareness Is Crucial
Each year in the United States, nearly 25,000 adults and children are diagnosed with malignant brain tumors (National Brain Tumor Society [NBTS], 2024). Brain cancers are distinct in that they occur in a vital and delicate organ—the brain—making treatment highly complex. Outcomes vary widely depending on the tumor type, location, and progression.
Despite being rare, brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancers are among the deadliest of all cancers, with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) being the most aggressive and common malignant brain tumor in adults (American Brain Tumor Association [ABTA], 2024).
Understanding Brain Cancer
Brain tumors are classified as benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Even benign tumors can be life-threatening due to their location and potential to interfere with essential brain functions.
Common types of brain cancer include:
Gliomas (including glioblastomas)
Meningiomas
Medulloblastomas
Pituitary tumors
Astrocytomas
Symptoms vary widely but may include:
Persistent headaches
Seizures
Vision or hearing problems
Cognitive or personality changes
Difficulty with balance or motor skills
(Mayo Clinic, 2024)
Risk Factors and Causes
While some brain cancers are linked to genetic mutations, exposure to ionizing radiation, or family history, most causes remain unknown (National Cancer Institute [NCI], 2023). Unlike many other cancers, lifestyle factors such as smoking or diet have not been directly linked to brain cancer risk.
The Fight for a Cure
Progress is being made, but research into brain tumors is historically underfunded compared to other cancer types. According to NBTS (2024), brain cancer research receives only a small fraction of federal cancer research funding, despite its high mortality rate and devastating effects on quality of life.
Emerging treatments include:
Immunotherapy
Targeted drug therapies
Tumor-treating fields (TTF)
Personalized medicine approaches
Clinical trials are vital to advancing treatment, yet patient participation remains low. Advocacy organizations urge more public engagement in supporting and promoting clinical research.
How to Support Brain Cancer Awareness Month
Here are ways you can show your support this May:
Wear gray, the official awareness color for brain tumors.
Share facts on social media to help educate others.
Donate to research organizations like NBTS or ABTA.
Support families and caregivers by connecting them with local or online resources.
Participate in virtual or in-person events, like 5K runs or awareness walks.
Stories of Strength
Behind every diagnosis is a story of resilience. Brain Cancer Awareness Month also honors the survivors, caregivers, and those we've lost. Sharing these stories can inspire advocacy, increase awareness, and create community among those affected.
Brain cancer changes lives in an instant—but together, we can change the narrative. Through education, early diagnosis, and greater investment in research, there is hope. This May, let’s amplify our voices, honor those in the fight, and push for progress.
Navigating Cancer
If you or someone you know has received a cancer diagnosis, our Cancer Patient Navigator can help you navigate your journey every step of the way. Healthy Acadia has partnered with the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center to offer the Downeast Cancer Patient Navigation Program to residents of Washington County, Maine.
Cancer patient navigators help facilitate communication between patients and healthcare teams, answer questions about care expectations, coordinate appointments and treatments, provide reminders, and arrange care across providers. They also offer emotional support, tobacco cessation classes, counseling, and more, creating a dependable system of support for every step of the way.
References:
National Brain Tumor Society. (2024). Brain Tumor Facts & Statistics. https://braintumor.org/brain-tumor-information/brain-tumor-facts/
American Brain Tumor Association. (2024). Glioblastoma. https://www.abta.org/tumor_types/glioblastoma-gbm/
National Cancer Institute. (2023). Brain and Other Nervous System Cancers. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/brain.html
Mayo Clinic. (2024). Brain tumor - Symptoms & causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-tumor/symptoms-causes/syc-20350084