Each year are detected in Spain about 3,000 new cases of brain tumors, according to data from the SEN.

– it is a disease which brings together more than 120 types of tumors and represent 2% of the total number of cancers detected in adults, compared to 15-20% of the cancers diagnosed in children

-medulloblastomas in child age and in the adult gliomas are most frequent tumors and represent one major challenge their treatment

– Although much has been said about the possible relationship that can exist between the use of mobile phones and the appearance of tumors, all data are handled today do not prove its link

– in recent years, advances in techniques of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy has made that survival and cure rates have evolved very favourably. But in some tumors such as glioblastoma results, everything and having improved, still be optimal

– in the next few years, studies on the mechanisms of tumor proliferation will help to identify more effective drugs for the treatment of more aggressive, like glioblastoma or medulloblastoma brain tumors

Spain, November 2011- from October 30th is commemorating the international week of the cerebral tumors, a disease that, in Spain, about 3,000 new cases, according to data managed by the Sociedad Española de Neurología (SEN) are detected. Under the term brain tumor encompasses more than 120 types depending on the place in which there is, the involved tissue if it is a benign or malignant tumor, etc. More frequent in children age brain tumors are the medulloblastomas and gliomas while in adulthood are gliomas and meningiomas.

Brain tumors can occur at any age. Children presents a peak between 5 and 14 years and adults incidence grows from the age of 45. It is estimated that brain tumors account for 2% of the total number of cancers detected in adults, compared to 15-20% of cancers diagnosed in children under the age of 15 years. The fact that brain tumors are less common than other cancers, makes that there is a great ignorance of this disease in adult patients and children, can be a major cause of disability ”, drew the Dr. Francesc Graus Ribas, Coordinator of the Group of study of neuro-oncology of the society Spanish of Neurology. the main objective of commemorating this international week should be the awareness to the general population and the scientific and medical community about brain tumors, because that is not only needed to move forward in their knowledge, but, after the diagnosis, patients need access to a range of services to offer an integrated and multidisciplinary treatment. And in this regard, the cooperation of all is vital to ”.

Due to the variety of types of brain tumors, symptoms are very diverse. Nevertheless, experience headache, blurred vision, vomiting or nausea, mood changes, problems of equilibrium, muscle weakness, seizures or difficulty swallowing or speaking, they tend to be the most common symptoms.

Addition, today, no known causes for which a brain tumor can develop. Some research related them to genetic factors, trauma or exposure to radiation or chemical substances, but the truth is that, in the case of genetic factors, still not described any gene involved in its transmission – although we know that hereditary diseases such as neurofibromatosishave a rate of some types of brain tumor – and, in the case of other factors, have not received conclusive results ”, explains Dr. Francesc Graus. In this sense, have been published much on the impact that can have the use of mobile phones in the occurrence of tumors. And while some studies have been especially alarming in this regard, all data that are currently handled have not been able to confirm this relationship ”.

Thanks to advances in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, survival and cure rates have evolved very favourably. To the extent that some types of tumors come to have a more than 90% cure rate. However in tumors brain prevalent, as the medulloblastoma or gliomas, current treatments not guarantee cure in many cases. Today, the challenge is to identify the mechanisms of cell proliferation in these tumors and offer specific treatments to interfere with these mechanisms. In the type of most malignant glioma, glioblastoma, two large multicenter clinical trials have been completed to assess the effect of new drugs: bevacizumab and cilengitide and hope that the results are known in the coming years ”, says Dr. Francesc Graus.