Epidemiology and Etiology of Glioma

Tumors affecting the central nervous system pose a significant threat to human health. Based on data from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) statistical report spanning from 2013 to 2017, the annual incidence of brain tumors is 23.79 per 100,000 individuals, with malignant brain tumors making up 7.08 per 100,000 cases and accounting for 29.80% of all brain tumors. Glioblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor, comprises 14.50% of all brain tumors and 48.60% of malignant brain tumors. The average annual incidence of brain tumors is slightly higher in females (26.31/100,000) compared to males (21.09/100,000). Among children under 15 years of age, brain tumors have the highest incidence and mortality rates among all types of tumors. Globally, more than 256,000 people were diagnosed with malignant brain tumors in 2012, accounting for 1.80% of all malignant tumor cases. However, in China, the incidence rate is slightly higher than the global average, comprising 25.61% of all cases worldwide. As industrialization, urbanization, and aging populations continue to increase, the disease burden of benign and malignant brain and central nervous system tumors in China is rising. In 2019, China Cancer reported an estimated 101,200 new cases of brain tumors, with 47,900 occurring in males and 53,300 in females. This accounts for 2.66% of all malignant neoplasms, ranking ninth among all types of cancer (Table 1.1). The incidence of brain tumors is 7.40 per 100,000, with an accumulated incidence rate of 0.58% from ages 0 to 74. The incidence rate is higher in females than in males and in urban areas compared to rural areas. The estimated number of brain tumor-related deaths is 56,300, including 31,300 men and 25,000 women, accounting for 2.45% of all malignant tumor deaths and ranking eighth among all types of cancer. The mortality rate of brain tumors is 4.11 per 100,000, and the accumulated mortality rate from ages 0 to 74 is 0.31%. In terms of mortality rate, men have higher rates compared to women, and rural areas have higher rates than urban areas. The incidence rate of primary central nervous system tumors in Shanghai continued to increase from 1973 to 2007, rising from 3.5/100,000 and 3.03/100,000 to 5.88/100,000 and 7/100,000 in both men and women, respectively.