Epidemiology of Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors

Brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumours encompass a heterogeneous group of neoplasms that, despite their relative rarity, impose a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality. Incidence rates vary widely, from fewer than 2 per 100,000 in low-resource settings to over 8 per 100,000 in high-income regions, reflecting differences in diagnostic capacity and registry completeness. Age‐standardised incidence rates (ASIR) tend to peak in late adulthood, with a secondary smaller peak in childhood for certain paediatric gliomas and embryonal tumours. Five-year survival remains low for high-grade gliomas and certain metastatic lesions, whereas benign tumours such as meningioma show more favourable outcomes. Mortality trends differ by subtype: glioblastoma incidence has steadily risen in many countries, while non‐glioblastoma astrocytoma incidence has plateaued or declined. Geographical disparities are also driven by environmental exposures, genetic predispositions and access to specialised care. Metrics such as age‐standardised mortality rate (ASMR), mortality‐to‐incidence ratio (MIR) and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) reveal that the highest burdens occur in middle‐aged and older adults, with a notable impact on quality of life and healthcare resources. Emerging data highlight the importance of robust cancer surveillance, integrated registries and equity in diagnostic and therapeutic services to inform global cancer control strategies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have characterised the epidemiology and socioeconomic correlates of brain and CNS cancers in Asia, reporting 166,925 new cases in 2020 with an ASIR of 3.20 and an ASMR of 2.60. Mortality-to-incidence ratio was 0.83, and analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between human development index (HDI) and MIR, alongside positive correlations between healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP and both ASIR and ASMR. Projections to 2040 suggest a rise to 232,000 new cases and 200,000 deaths, with Western Asia and older male cohorts bearing the highest projected rates. These findings underscore the need for resource-sensitive policy interventions and enhanced surveillance in rapidly developing settings.

Epidemiology of Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology of brain and central nervous system tumors across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR): Number of new cases per 100,000 population, adjusted to a standard age distribution.

Age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR): Number of deaths per 100,000 population, adjusted to a standard age distribution.

Disability-adjusted life year (DALY): Composite measure combining years of life lost and years lived with disability to quantify the total burden of disease.

Mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR): Ratio of mortality rate to incidence rate, serving as a proxy for survival and healthcare effectiveness.

Human Development Index (HDI): Composite index assessing average achievements in health, education and income, used as a measure of socioeconomic development.

References

1. Epidemiology and socioeconomic correlates of brain and central nervous system cancers in Asia in 2020 and their projection to 2040. Scientific Reports (2024).
2. Global, regional, and national burden of brain and other CNS cancer, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet Neurology (2019).
3. Burden and trends of brain and central nervous system cancer from 1990 to 2019 at the global, regional, and country levels. Archives of Public Health (2022).
4. Trends in Intracranial Glioma Incidence and Mortality in the United States, 1975-2018. Frontiers in Oncology (2021).