As many of our members may tell you, before someone they or a family member were diagnosed with a brain tumour, they knew little about  this cancer or how they grow and are treated.

But brain cancer can affect anyone at any age. It can affect otherwise healthy adults in the prime of their lives. Patients can go from full health to being incapacitated within months.

Australian statistics

There are over 1400 new cases of brain cancer diagnosed in Australia each year, with approximately 150 reported cases  in Western Australia.  It is one of the most common causes of cancer in children, with 300 found to have a brain tumour annually.

Once diagnosed, patients only have a 25 percent chance of living past 2 years.

Unfortunately, the cause of brain cancer is still unknown and therefore preventative measures cannot be implemented. 

And despite a 7 percent increase in new brain cancer cases in Australia over the past decade, research funding for and survival rates remain low.

The Brain Tumour Association of WA is one of many organisations world wide that is working to reverse this – by raising awareness in the community about this disease, providing much needed support to those who are affected and where ever possible raise funds to look for a cure.

The Get the Facts section outlines easy to read information for those unfamilar with brain cancer – and more importantly, is a gateway for a number of links which our members recommend for those who are searching for more detailed information about the latest treatments, research and trials.

We welcome feedback and would appreciate your recommendations of links to other websites that may be useful to our members and the wider community.