CBTRUS Fact Sheet

 

The Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) maintains and regularly updates a database of primary malignant and non-malignant tumors of the brain, other central nervous system (CNS), tumors of the pituitary and pineal glands, olfactory tumors of the nasal cavity, and brain lymphoma and leukemia. These data are the source of the 2022 CBTRUS Statistical Report, the 2022 CBTRUS Fact Brochure, CBTRUS peer-reviewed publications, and the statistical facts and information shown on this page.

CBTRUS presents incidence data on all newly diagnosed primary brain and other CNS tumors from two national sources: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the National Institute of Health’s National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. Cancer surveillance data (of all types of cancer) from these two programs are combined and are referred to as the United States Cancer Statistics (USCS), the official source for federal cancer data.

There are 52 population-based central cancer registries that contribute to this data collection effort. They include cancer registries from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. These data represent nearly 100% of the US population (excluding cases from Nevada for 2018 and 2019).

Incidence rates in the United States provided by CBTRUS are based on the 2000 US standard population and are reported per 100,000 population for 2015-2019.

The CBTRUS database is comprised of only de-identified data. No patient-identifying information is collected.

Worldwide incidence rates, used for comparison, are from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which includes primary malignant tumors of the brain and other CNS (excluding brain lymphoma and leukemia, tumors of the pituitary and pineal glands, and olfactory tumors of the nasal cavity). These global rates are age-adjusted using the world standard population. These rates may be compared to other rates adjusted to the world standard population, but they cannot be compared to rates adjusted to other population standards, such as the 2000 United States standard population.

CBTRUS presents observed and relative survival based on the CDC/NPCR data. This dataset provides population-based information for 82% of the United States population for the years 2001 to 2018 and is a subset of the data used for the incidence calculations presented in the 2022 CBTRUS Statistical Report. Survival information is derived from both active and passive follow-up.  Survival data for malignant brain and other CNS tumors were obtained from 42 NPCR registries for years 2001 to 2018 and for non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors for years 2004 to 2018.

The facts provided below are based on the most up-to-date information available and includes almost 100% of the United States population. This information is based on data from 2015-2019 that were analyzed in 2022.

United States Incidence

  • The incidence rate of all primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors in the United States was 24.71 cases per 100,000 population for a total count of 445,792 incident tumors; (7.02 per 100,000 for malignant tumors [126,345 cases] and 17.69 per 100,000 for non-malignant tumors [319,447 cases]).
  • The rate was higher in females (27.62 per 100,000) than males (21.60 per 100,000).1
  • An estimated 93,470 new cases of primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors are expected to be diagnosed in the US in 2022.1 
  • This includes an estimated 26,670 primary malignant and 66,800 non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors.a,1

Global Incidence

  • The worldwide incidence rate of primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors in 2020, age-adjusted using the world standard population, was 3.5 per 100,000 population.
  • Incidence rates by sex were 3.9 per 100,000 population in males and 3.0 per 100,000 population in females.
  • This represented an estimated 168,346 males and 139,756 females who were diagnosed worldwide with a primary malignant brain tumor in 2020, an overall total of 308,102 individuals.2
  • Incidence rates were higher in high-income countries (7.4 per 100,000) than low-middle (2.2 per 100,000) or low-income countries (1.8 per 100,000).2

Pediatric Incidence (Ages 0-14 Years)

  • The incidence rate of childhood primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors in the United States was 5.75 cases per 100,000 population for a total 5-year count of 17,561 cases.1
  • An estimated 3,920 new cases of childhood primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2023.1

Adolescent Incidence (Ages 15-19 Years)

  • The incidence rate of adolescent primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors in the United States was 7.40 cases per 100,000 population for a total 5-year count of 7,779 cases with an annual average of 1,556.1
  • The incidence rate of adolescent primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors was 2.58 with a total count of 2,713.
  • The incidence rate of adolescent primary non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors was 4.82 cases per 100,000 population for a total 5-year count of 5,066.1
  • An estimated 1,310 new cases of adolescent primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2023.1
  • Brain and other CNS tumors in adolescents account for 2% of the reported brain and other CNS tumors in 2015-2019.1

Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Incidence (Ages 15-39 Years)

  • The incidence rate of AYA primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors in the US was 11.96 cases per 100,000 population for a total 5-year total of 63,812 cases.1   
  • The rate was higher for non-malignant tumors (8.71 per 100,000) when compared to primary malignant tumors (3.25 per 100,000).1
  • In 2023, 11,660 new cases of AYA primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors are expected to be diagnosed in the United States.1

Adult Incidence (Ages 40+ Years)

  • The incidence rate of adult primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors in the United States was 44.65 cases per 100,000 population for a five-year total of 364,420 cases.1
  • The rate was higher for non-malignant tumors (32.92 per 100,000) for a total of 267,063 when compared to malignant tumors (11.74 per 100,000) for a total of 97,357.1
  • In 2022, 78,190 new cases of primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors are expected to be diagnosed in the United States.1

Mortality

  • The average annual mortality rate in the United States between 2015 and 2019 was 4.41 per 100,000 population with 84,246 total deaths attributed to primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors.
  • This represents an average of 16,853 deaths per year.1
  • It was estimated that there would be 18,280 deaths due to primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors in the United States in 2022 with 10,710 of these deaths occurring in males and 7,570 occurring in females.4

Lifetime Risk

  • From birth, a person in the United States has a 0.62% chance of ever being diagnosed with a primary malignant brain and other CNS tumor (excluding lymphomas, leukemias, tumors of pituitary and pineal glands, and olfactory tumors of the nasal cavity) and a 0.48% chance of dying from the primary malignant brain and other CNS tumor.4
  • For males in the United States, the risk of developing a primary malignant brain and other CNS tumor is 0.70%, and the risk of dying from a primary malignant brain and other CNS tumor is 0.56%.4
  • For females in the United States, the risk of developing a primary malignant brain and other CNS tumor is 0.54%, and the risk of dying from a primary malignant brain and other CNS tumor is 0.42%.4

Survival

  • The five-year relative survival rate in the United States from 2001 to 2018 following diagnosis of a primary malignant brain and other CNS tumor (including lymphomas and leukemias, tumors of the pituitary and pineal glands, and olfactory tumors of the nasal cavity) was 76.0% (2001-2018, data varying). 1
  • The five-year relative survival rate following diagnosis with a primary non-malignant brain or other CNS tumor (including lymphomas and leukemias, tumors of the pituitary and pineal glands, and olfactory tumors of the nasal cavity) was 91.8% in the United States (2001-2018).1
  • Median observed survival in primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors only was lowest for glioblastoma (8 months) and highest for malignant oligodendroglioma tumors (199 months, or approximately 16.6 years).1

Prevalence

  • The overall 2010 prevalence rate for all primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors was estimated to be 47.60 per 100,000 population, or a total of 103,634 cases.6
  • Prevalence in children (0–14 years old) was estimated to be 22.31 per 100,000 population (13,657 cases) in 2010.6
  • Prevalence in AYA (15–39 years old) was estimated to be 48.49 per 100,000 population (31,299 cases) in 2010.6
  • Glioblastoma had the highest age-adjusted prevalence rate of all primary malignant brain and other CNS tumors in adults age 20+ years with a prevalence rate of 23 per 100,000 population (23,327 cases) in 2014.7
  • Pilocytic astrocytoma, reported historically as malignant in cancer surveillance reports, had an age-adjusted prevalence rate of 2.65 per 100,000 population (5,968 cases) in 2014. This was highest in adults age 20-29 years, with a prevalence rate of 6.63 per 100,000 population (2,979 cases).7

Notes

a Estimated incident numbers for malignant and non-malignant brain and other CNS tumors were calculated for 2022 and 2023 using age-adjusted annual brain tumor incidence rates (2000–2019 for malignant tumors, and 2006–2019 for non-malignant tumors) by state, age, and histopathology.b

b Joinpoint 4.10.0.0 was used to fit regression models to these incidence rates, which were used to predict numbers of cases in future years using the parameter from the selected models. Please see Reference 1 for additional information.

References

1 Ostrom QT, Price M, Neff C, Cioffi G, Waite K, Kruchko C, Barnholtz-Sloan JS. CBTRUS Statistical Report: Primary Brain and Other Central Nervous System Tumors Diagnosed in the United States in 2015–2019. Neuro Oncol. 2022.

2 Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, Bray, F. (2021). Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021 Feb 4. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660.

3 Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. SEER*Stat Database: Mortality—All COD, Aggregated With State, Total U.S. (1969-2019) <Katrina/Rita Population Adjustment>, National Cancer Institute, DCCPS, Surveillance Research Program, Surveillance Systems Branch, released December 2021. Underlying mortality data provided by NCHS (www.cdc.gov/nchs).

4 Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2022. CA Cancer J Clin. 2022 Jan;72(1):7-333. doi: 10.3322/caac.21708.

5 Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. DevCan database: “SEER 18 Incidence and Mortality, 2000–2019, with Kaposi Sarcoma and Mesothelioma.” National Cancer Institute, DCCPS, Surveillance Research Program, Cancer Statistics Branch, released April 2022, based on the November 2021 submission. Underlying mortality data provided by NCHS  (www.cdc.gov/nchs).

6 Zhang AS, Ostrom QT, Kruchko C, Rogers L, Peereboom DM, Barnholtz-Sloan JS. Complete prevalence of malignant primary brain tumors registry data in the United States compared with other common cancers, 2010. Neuro Oncol. 2017 May 1; 19(5): 726-735.

7 Gittleman H, Bosica A, Ostrom QT, Truitt G, Fritz Y, Kruchko C, Barnholtz-Sloan JS. Survivorship in adults with malignant brain and other central nervous system tumor from 2000-2014. Neuro Oncol. 2018 Nov 9;20(suppl_7):vii6-vii16. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noy090.