Brain Tumour Awareness Month (UK)

Brain Tumour Awareness Month (UK)

March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month in the UK. Between 400 and 500 children are diagnosed with brain or spinal tumours each year in the UK. In 2004, a group of charities launched Brain Tumour Awareness Month. The group went on to become the Brain Tumour Research charity. The awareness pin color that represents Brain Tumour Awareness Month (UK) is gray. Wear a gray enamel awareness ribbon pin, fabric ribbon, or gray silicone awareness wristband bracelet to highlight this awareness month.

Further, the UK charity that sponsors this day sells pin badges or brooches to recognize their Wear A Hat Day. The pins are fun and whimsical, and a great way to start a collection. In addition, the pins are unique and celebrate the importance of science and helping make research breakthroughs happen.

Brain Tumour Research and Vital Awareness Activities

One in three people know someone affected by this devastating disease. This March, Brain Tumour Research will once again be leading the way with a program of activities to raise vital awareness and funds to get closer to their vision of finding a cure for all types of brain tumours. The awareness month culminates with the return of one of the UK’s most popular annual fundraisers – Wear A Hat Day.

Your support during Brain Tumour Awareness Month helps bring hope to brain tumour patients and their loved ones.

Brain Tumour Statistics

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. Yet historically just 1% of the national spending on cancer research is allocated to this devastating disease. Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK focused on curing all types of brain tumours. They do this through campaigning to increase the national investment in brain tumour research. In addition, they fundraise to create a network of seven sustainable Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence across the UK.

Statistics to Know About Childhood Cancer and Brain Tumours

Fact File: Brain tumours in children

• One in three children who die of cancer is due to a brain tumour.
• Brain tumours kill more children than leukemia.
• Symptoms can include headaches, nausea and vomiting, changes in vision and loss of balance.
• Treatment depends on the type of brain tumour, size, and its location in the brain.
• Types of treatment include surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or a combination of the three.
• Medulloblastoma is the most common type of high-grade pediatric brain tumour and occurs more often in boys than in girls.
• Diffuse midline glioma – previously known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) or brain stem glioma – is the deadliest form of childhood cancer with a median survival of between eight and 12 months.
• In 2021, the World Health Organization recategorized pediatric brain tumours (as well as adult tumours) due to an increased understanding of these tumours at a genetic and molecular level. It created a new group known as pediatric diffuse high-grade gliomas (PDHGG), which includes tumours formally known as pediatric glioblastoma (GBM) and DIPG.