Epidemiological aspects of glial brain tumors

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors. Most of them are malignant, and 80% of them are glioblastoma. The incidence of glial brain tumors is higher in the developed countries of Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. In Serbia, malignant brain tumors account for 2.2% of all tumors. Glial tumors are more common in men. Median survival of patients with glioblastoma is between 12 and 24 months. To date, little is known about the risk factors for the occurrence of these tumors. High doses of ionizing radiation therapy are the only established risk factor that affects the formation of glioma, meningioma and nerve sheath tumors. Two recently published studies on the connection between glioma and changes in genes discovered and verified five chromosomal regions at risk for the development of glial tumors. Better understanding of the genesis of these tumors would lead to improvement in the treatment and possible better outcome for patients with this difficult diagnosis.