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The Colorado Neurological Institute (CNI) is the largest, most comprehensive
neuroscience center in the Rocky Mountain region. A non-profit organization
located on the campus of Swedish Medical Center, CNI has seven programs
and eleven services for people with neurological illness. Each program
provides five components: a comprehensive team approach; education
programs; research and clinical trials; outcomes studies; and outreach
to outlying communities.
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The CNI Center for Brain & Spinal Tumors, led by medical director
Edward Arenson, MD, includes a patient resource center where patients
and their families can find information and support.
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Each year over 100,000 people in the United States are diagnosed
with a primary or metastatic brain tumor.
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Brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer death for children
under age 19 and a significant cause of cancer death for people ages
20-39. The greatest increase in brain tumors has been among people
75 and older.
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Symptoms include headache, nausea, and vomiting; new onset of seizures;
loss of movement, coordination or sensation; visual disturbance; hearing
loss; speech difficulty; changes in behavior or personality; and difficulty
with memory.
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Metastatic brain tumors (cancer that spreads from other parts of
the body to the brain) occur at some point in 20-40% of the general
cancer population.
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In the United States, 11-12 per 100,000 people get primary brain
tumors.
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There are many different types of brain tumors, making effective
treatment very complicated.
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Brain tumors are located at the control center for thought, emotion
and movement, and can have a devastating effect on an individual's
cognitive abilities.
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Currently, cure rates are low for malignant brain tumors. Treatment
may put tumors into remission, but tumors can still recur even years
later.
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Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, used
individually or in combination. Clinical trials and research
are underway to develop new treatments for brain tumors, including
gene therapy, and immunotherapy.
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Only 37% of males and 52% of females survive five years following
diagnosis of a primary low-grade (benign) or malignant brain tumor.
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Brain tumors in children are different from those in adults and are
often treated differently. Although as many as 60% of children survive,
they are often left with long-term side effects.
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A low-grade brain tumor generally has a slower rate of growth and
may take years to become large enough to affect functional areas of
the brain. Once treated, the tumor may take years or even decades
to grow back. A malignant tumor generally is more aggressive and requires
aggressive treatment. They grow much more quickly and tend to invade
normal tissue.
