Brain Cancer Awareness Month

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month. According to federal statistics, each year more than 23,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with brain cancer and other nervous system cancers. These cancers make up a portion of the nearly 78,000 brain tumors diagnosed each year in the United States. Brain Cancer Awareness Month educates people about brain tumors. The awareness color that represents brain cancer is gray. Wear a gray enamel awareness ribbon pin, gray fabric ribbon, or gray silicone awareness wristband to call attention to this important campaign to raise awareness.

Why We “Go Gray in May”

This May, to bring together the brain tumor community and help encourage those living with a brain tumor, “Go Gray in May.” And, Personalized Causes focuses our social media accounts on gray because gray is the color of brain cancer. During Brain Tumor Awareness Month in May, many host educational, informative, and upbeat events for brain tumor patients. Likewise, others host events for the care partner community. It is a time to come together and interact, socialize, express, ask questions, learn about specific topics, and share brain cancer experiences. Helping one another understand the brain cancer community is very important to do each May.

About Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

There are many types of brain and spinal cord tumors. These tumors may be either benign or malignant.

Below are the different types of brain and spinal cord tumors:

• Benign brain and spinal cord tumors grow and press on nearby areas of the brain. They rarely spread into other tissues and may come back.
• Malignant or cancerous brain and spinal cord tumors are likely to grow quickly and spread into other brain tissue.

When a tumor grows into or presses on an area of the brain, it may stop that part of the brain from working the way it should. Both benign and malignant brain tumors cause signs and symptoms and need treatment. Often, tumors found in the brain have started somewhere else in the body. Then they spread to one or more parts of the brain. These are called metastatic brain tumors. They are also known as brain metastases. Metastatic brain tumors are more common than primary brain tumors. For example, about half of metastatic brain tumors originate from lung cancer.

Statistics About Brain Cancer

Approximately 24,810 cases of brain and other nervous system cancers will be diagnosed in the United States in 2023 and about 18,990 people will die of these forms of cancer. This information is according to the National Cancer Institute. There are few known risk factors for brain tumors.

The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program estimates that some 18,990 people in the U.S. will die from brain and other nervous system cancers in 2023.

For this reason, wear a gray enamel awareness ribbon pin to raise awareness for this important awareness month. Personalized Cause offers both personalized and non-personalized awareness ribbons that can be engraved with a name, date or message. Wear a pin to communicate without saying a word. These signs and symbols of support make a difference to those facing a brain cancer diagnosis or for their loved ones.