Brain and central nervous system tumor statistics: access to accurate data for all countries is critical!

See the article by Walker and Davis et al, pp. 360–369.

Having access to accurate statistics on brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors is critical to enable overall knowledge of the burden of disease, assist with clinical trial study design, and support advocacy and other research efforts for these tumors. In the United States and many other countries around the world, data on brain and other CNS tumors are collected by central cancer registries that abide by uniform data standards for collection and reporting of accurate data on all newly diagnosed cancers. In North America, these uniform data standards are set by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).¹ The Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS)^2,3 has worked in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)⁴ to produce an annual statistical report on brain and other CNS tumors; CBTRUS has published 21 such reports, the last 7 published as a supplement for Neuro Oncology.⁵ CBTRUS receives information from NPCR on both malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors for the United States.

Comprehensive brain and other CNS tumor incidence statistics for Canada are now available in a new article in Neuro Oncology by Walker and Davis et al, entitled “Malignant Primary Brain and Other Central Nervous System Tumors Diagnosed in Canada from 2009 to 2013.”⁶ The Brain Tumor Registry of Canada Project,⁷ funded by the Brain Canada Foundation, was formulated with the aim of enhancing infrastructure for surveillance and clinical research for brain and other CNS tumors in Canada. This first manuscript provides accurate frequencies and incidence rates per 100 000 persons for all primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors in Canada adjusted to the 2011 Canadian standard population. These data were also adjusted to the 2000 United States standard population, for comparisons to the US-based statistics from CBTRUS. Subsequent reports will include the non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors and also new biomarkers used for clinical diagnosis of these tumors, per the World Health Organization 2016 updates (as reviewed by Louis et al⁸).

Walker et al⁶ showed that the overall incidence rate of primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors in Canada (for the years 2009 to 2013) was 8.71 per 100 000 persons (adjusted to the 2011 Canadian standard population), where males had a higher incidence than females. The most common type of primary malignant brain tumor overall was glioblastoma, with an incidence rate of 4.06 per 100 000 persons (adjusted to the 2011 Canadian standard population); this was also the most common type of primary malignant brain and other CNS tumor in adults. The most common type of primary malignant brain and CNS tumor in children aged 0–14 at diagnosis was embryonal tumor (incidence 0.74 per 100 000 persons, adjusted to the 2011 Canadian standard population). After adjustment to the 2000 United States standard population, the same population used in the CBTRUS reports, the incidence rates for Canada and the United States by sex, age, and histological type were similar. In addition, the most common types of brain and CNS tumors by age were the same between Canada and the United States.

Access to accurate statistics on brain and other CNS tumors from both Canada and the United States allows for a more comprehensive view of these tumors in North America. Having these new data for Canada available will enable additional interest, research, and potential clinical trials in brain and other CNS tumors, not just in Canada but across North America and worldwide.

Funding

Funding for CBTRUS in 2018 was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under Contract No. 2016-M-9030, the American Brain Tumor Association (EIN number 23-7286648), The Sontag Foundation, Novocure (EIN number 59-3634325), AbbVie, the Musella Foundation (EIN number 13-3938057), as well as private and in-kind donations. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.