preview

Brain And Central Nervous System Cancers

Good Essays

Précis
Brain and Central Nervous System Cancers
By Elissah Granger

In healthy individuals, cells grow, divide and die in a highly regulated fashion. When irreparable damage occurs to DNA this cycle is interrupted; resulting in apoptosis, programmed cell death, or uncontrolled cell growth, known as cancer. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for about 3 in 10 deaths (Cancer Council, 2014). In 2010; 116, 580 new cases of cancer were diagnosed and there was a 1 in 3 risk of developing cancer in individuals below the age of 75 (AIHW, 2014). Since 2000, over $1.5 billion in research grants, from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has gone into cancer and cancer control issues. In 2013, there were 921 active research grants with $186 million dollars in funding in total (NHMRC, 2013). Of this funding, only 3% has gone towards brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancers, totalling just under $48 million.
Figure 1: Graphical summary NHMRC research funding from 2000-2013 of Cancer and Related Malignant Neoplasms.

In 2010, 1680 brain and CNS cancers were diagnosed in Australia and 1250 deaths occurred as result of brain and CNS cancers. The risk of being diagnosed with brain and CNS cancer by age 85 is 1 in 95 for men and 1 in 152 for women, the risk of death from brain and CNS cancer by age 85 is 1 in 124 for men and 1 in 193 for women (AIHW, 2014). Brain and CNS cancers include primary tumours, which start in the brain or the

Get Access