General Brain Tumor Facts

• Approximately 1 in 330 young people will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 19.
• On average, 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every day in the U.S.
• One in every four elementary schools has a child with cancer.
• Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the United States.
• Cancer in childhood occurs in all ethnic groups, socioeconomic classes, and regions.
• Brain tumors are much more likely to occur in childhood than in adulthood.
• Every year, over 100,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with a primary or metastatic brain tumor.
• Brain tumors are the most deadly of all the childhood cancers.
• Brain tumors can be malignant or benign and either case can be life-threatening.
• The effects of brain tumors can be devastating because they are located at the control center for thought, emotion, and movement. In many cases, brain tumor survivors live  with physical and/or psychological disabilities.

Ependymoma Facts

• Since 1995, Dr. Nick Foreman, Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist, has diagnosed 55 patients with Ependymoma brain tumors at The Children's Hospital in Denver. Dr. Foreman diagnoses around 5-8 Ependymomas per year.
• Nationwide, there are about 120 childhood Ependymomas diagnosed per year, and about 80 for young adults (21 years +).
• Ependymomas account for approximately 7%-8% of all pediatric brain tumors.
• Ependymomas can be malignant or benign, but in either case, they are life-threatening.
• Ependymomas do not respond well to conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.
• Most Ependymomas occur in the first 5 years of life.
• An Ependymoma is considered to be cured if there is no relapse after 6 years have elapsed.
• Once an Ependymoma tumor recurs, it is over 90% certain the tumor will continue to come back until the patient dies from the tumor. (Tanner's tumor has relapsed twice since his original diagnoses)
• There are only three institutions in North America that study and treat the Ependymoma specifically: Toronto Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, Canada; St. Judes Hospital in Memphis, TN; and The Children's Hospital in Denver, CO.

The Tanner Seebaum Foundation plans to fund promising projects at all three of these hospitals.

The effects of Ependymoma brain tumors can be devastating because they are located at the control center for thought, emotion, and movement. In many cases, brain tumor survivors live with physical and/or psychological disabilities.

Links:

Ependymoma

http://www.mayoclinic.org/glioma/ependymomas.html

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic700.htm

http://www.cancerbacup.org.uk/Cancertype/Brain/Typesofbraintumour/Ependymoma

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/childependymoma/patient/

http://www.pbtfus.org/

http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/HPI/CE/pediatrics/ependymoma/default.htm