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Cancer Reaches The Highest Offices In Washington
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Whether you are an beloved American politician who currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Arizona or a young child from the inner city of Detroit, the recent diagnosis of Sen. John McCain reminds us the hard fact that Brain Caner Does Not Discriminate.
Sen. John McCain has been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer generally found in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain, but can be found anywhere in the brain or spinal cord.
About
Glioblastomas are usually highly malignant—a large number of tumor cells are reproducing at any given time, and they are nourished by an ample blood supply. Because these tumors come from normal brain cells, it is easy for them to invade and live within normal brain tissue. However, glioblastoma rarely spreads elsewhere in the body.
Symptoms
Because glioblastomas can grow rapidly, the most common symptoms are usually caused by increased pressure in the brain. These symptoms can include headache, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness. Depending on the location of the tumor, patients can develop a variety of other symptoms such as weakness on one side of the body, memory and/or speech difficulties, and visual changes.
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Michelle Monje, MD, PhD
Stanford Medicine, Child Neurology Division
Assistant Professor of Neurology and, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery, of Pediatrics and of Pathology Neurology & Neurological Sciences
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Difference Between Glioblastoma and DIPG.
"Glioblastoma and DIPGare both members of the high-grade glioma family of cancers. While there are are important differences, there are also many similarities. Like DIPG, glioblastoma is an intractable cancer that is extremely difficult to eradicate and is nearly always fatal. Glioblastoma is the leading cause of brain cancer-related death in adults, while DIPG is the leading cause of brain cancer-related death in children. We need to understand high-grade gliomas like DIPG and GBM much better than we do, and we need to develop better therapeutic options for both forms of the disease. Source: Michelle Monje, MD, PhD
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By The Numbers
Nearly 80,000 new cases of primary brain tumors are expected to be diagnosed this year. Approximately one-third or 32% of brain and CNS tumors are malignant.
There are nearly 700,000 people in the U.S. living with a primary brain and central nervous system tumor.
This year, nearly 17,000 people will lose their battle with a primary malignant and central nervous system brain tumor.
Survival after diagnosis with a primary brain tumor varies significantly by age, histology, molecular markers and tumor behavior.
Brain Tumor Statistics by Age
- The median age at diagnosis for all primary brain tumors is 59 years.
- Brain tumors are the most common cancer occurring among those age 0-14, and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children (males and females)
- It is estimated that more than 4,800 children and adolescents between the ages of 0-19 will be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor this year.
- Survival rates tend to favor the young. This is for a variety of reason such as better over all health and a less developed cancer. The type of cancer also plays a large role. The worst prognosis is glioblastoma multiforme with 5 year survival 13% for ages 20-44. Only 1% for those aged 55-64.
Source: The American Brain Tumor Association
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The Fly A Kite Foundation would like to remind our community we are here. Here for a shoulder to cry on, a support network that has worked with many families who have been diagnosed with children's brain cancer. We also take our time, carefully vetting the research labs "you support through us" working behind the scenes to find a cure.
While Sen. John McCain's recent diagnosis has rattled our spirits, we must remind ourselves that there are thousands of cases each year in America that affects every one of us. The Fly A Kite Foundation wants to wish Sen. McCain and family the best possible outcome for his recent diagnosis. I hope with the recent news, more will be done at a national and local level
to cure ALL Pediatric and Adult Brain Cancers. Our thoughts and prayers.
David Bernstein
President and Co-Founder
The Fly A Kite Foundation.
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The Fly A Kite Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, EIN 47-1415307.
Donations made to Fly A Kite Foundation are tax-deductible in the United States.
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