Brain, Other CNS and Intracranial Tumours Key Facts

• There are over 130 different types of tumour which can occur in the brain, other parts of the CNS or intracranial region. 
• Unless stated otherwise, statistics here cover tumours arising in the brain, meninges (the three membranes covering the brain and spinal cord), spinal cord and other parts of CNS, pineal gland, pituitary gland, and craniopharyngeal duct. They include all the brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours registerable by UK cancer registries, including malignant tumours (cancers), those of low grade, and those historically classed as non-invasive (the benign tumours, and those with uncertain or unknown behaviour). They include only tumours which have arisen in the brain, other CNS or intracranial region (i.e. only primary tumours). 
• This tumour group may sometimes be called simply ‘brain tumours’ or even ‘brain cancers’, but we use the title ‘brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours’ to reflect that our statistics include more than just malignant tumours of the brain itself.

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• Around 9,150 people were diagnosed with a brain, other CNS or intracranial tumour in 2010 in the UK, that’s around 25 people every day.
• In the UK in 2010, around 4,550 males and around 4,600 females were diagnosed with brain, other CNS or intracranial tumours.
• More than half (57%) of brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours are diagnosed in people under 65 years old.
• Around 400 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with a brain, other CNS or intracranial tumour in Britain each year. These are the second most common group of cancers diagnosed in children in Britain, accounting for more than a quarter (27%) of all childhood cancers.
• Around 280 teenagers and young adults are diagnosed with a brain, other CNS or intracranial tumour in the UK each year, and these form the fourth most common group of cancers in this age group in the UK, accounting for 14% of all cases.
• In the UK in 2008-2010, more than half (58%) of brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours are in the brain itself, and almost a quarter (23%) are in the meninges.
• The most common types of brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours in England in 2006-2010 were astrocytomas (34%) and meningiomas (21%). Around 8 in 10 astocytomas were the very aggressive subtype glioblastoma.
• Worldwide, an estimated 445,000 brain and other CNS tumours were diagnosed in 2008.
• There are presently no reliable data on the incidence of secondary brain tumours (which have spread to the brain from other parts of the body). Estimates suggest that secondary brain cancers occur in around 10% of all cancer patients, but this varies by the site of the primary cancer.

Read more in-depth incidence statistics for brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours.

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• Malignant brain tumour survival rates have improved in the last 40 years. In the early 1970s around 2 in 10 people survived their disease for at least one year, now it’s around 4 in 10.
• Around 15% of malignant brain tumour patients are now likely to survive their disease for at least five years and 10% to survive for at least ten years.
• Malignant brain tumour survival rates are higher for adults diagnosed at a younger age - more than 50 in 100 people diagnosed aged 15-39 survive their disease for at least five years, whilst only around 2 in 100 people diagnosed in their 70s survive for at least five years.
• For children, survival rates for brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours (including malignant, benign, and unknown/uncertain) have almost doubled since the late 1960s. More than 7 in 10 children now survive their disease for at least 5 years.
• Today more than 8 in 10 teenagers and young adults survive their brain, other CNS or intracranial tumour (including malignant, benign, and unknown/uncertain) for at least 5 years

Read more in-depth malignant brain tumour survival statistics.

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• Around 4,900 people died from a brain, other CNS or intracranial tumour** in 2010 in the UK, that’s more than 13 people every day.
• Brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours are the most common cause of childhood death from cancer. Around 100 children in the UK die from these tumours every year.
• Around 60 teenagers and young adults die from brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours every year. They are the most common cause of teenage and young adult death from cancer.

Read more in-depth brain and other CNS tumour mortality statistics.

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• Despite substantial research into the causes of brain and CNS tumours, results are generally inconsistent between studies, so the causes of brain tumours are not well-understood.
• People who have had radiation to the head to diagnose or treat illness (including head CT scans, some types of dental X-rays, or radiotherapy for a previous brain tumour) may have an increased risk of brain and other CNS tumours, particularly if they received that radiation at a young age.
• Current evidence shows it is unlikely that use of mobile phones increases the risk of brain and other CNS tumours. Research continues into this subject.
• People with a parent, brother or sister diagnosed with a brain and CNS tumour have a higher risk of being diagnosed with one themselves. People with some rare inherited genetic syndromes also have an increased risk.

Read more in-depth brain, other CNS and intracranial tumour risk factors.

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1. European age-standardised    2. Adults diagnosed    3. Latest statistics available

More detailed statistics on brain, other CNS and intracranial tumours can be found using these links: incidence, survival, mortality and risk factors.

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