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Message from the President

With great pride I welcome you to the website of the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS). I remember when I received our certificate of incorporation in July, 1992. It was a time of excitement, hope and energy. Our Board and our researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health tackled the challenges of collecting data on all primary brain tumors at a time when there was no specified rule authorizing the collection of “benign” brain tumors. This, of course, has changed. We never dreamed it would take a public law (Public Law 107-206) to achieve this accomplishment. We now refer to those benign brain tumors as nonmalignant for both technical reasons, and because all agree that there is nothing benign about a tumor located in the brain and central nervous system. We now collect and report primary brain tumor cases from multiple sources guided by uniform data standards and provide Statistical Reports for public use. We have a sizable list of peer reviewed publications that have expanded the descriptive epidemiology of primary brain tumors. We have set a standard and have provided a template for other countries to establish their own national brain tumor registries.

Challenges continue to be faced with excitement, hope and energy. Responsibility has transferred from establishing CBTRUS to safeguarding it. To paraphrase an old saying, “challenges are what make our lives interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” My life has been made more meaningful as a result of my experience as president of CBTRUS.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and Advisors, I would like to thank our collaborating state cancer registries, the Centers for Disease and Control National Program of Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program for providing data for our Statistical Reports, our sponsors for providing financial support, and to all those who support our mission.

Carol Kruchko
President & Administrator, CBTRUS