BRAIN tumors are on the rise, with a 50% increase in cases since 2001.
9960 people were diagnosed in 2019 with this devastating form of cancer, compared to 6 577 18 years ago.
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Brain Tumour Charity stated that the ageing population puts more people at risk. High-tech scans are helping to detect more cases.
However, doctors are struggling to increase survival rates as 90 percent of patients die within five year. Brain tumors are the leading cause of death from cancer in children under 40. In March, Tom Parker, The Wanted’s singer, died from this disease.
Four in 10 cases don’t get caught until someone is in A&E, by which time survival chances are slim.
Dr David Jenkinson, chief scientific officer at the charity, said: “These worrying figures show just how urgently we need to act on this devastating and life-changing disease.
“While brain tumours remain relatively rare, incidence has continued to rise significantly over the last two decades.
“This has not yet been matched by the tangible progress in diagnosis, treatment and survival outcomes seen in many other cancers.”
Brain Tumour Charity launched a campaign that helps people recognize warning signs such as blurred vision, seizures and headaches.
The rate of brain cancer per person has risen by 25% from 14.8 per 100,000 people to 18.3.
Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, a brain surgeon at King’s College London, added: “Greater awareness of the symptoms is crucial to ensuring more people receive a diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.”
A study has shown that married couples are more likely than others to survive cancer.
According to the Journal of Investigative Medicine, married patients had an average 72% chance of surviving stomach carcinoma. This was compared with 60% for widows.