Primary brain cancer, though not a common malignancy, has a very poor survival rate compared to other types of cancer; medical researchers are therefore keen to explore novel treatments and increase their knowledge of this rare but lethal disease.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) has conducted a study with the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) to investigate the global distribution and risk factors of and epidemiological trends in primary brain cancer.

The results showed that the incidence of primary brain cancer was higher in high-income jurisdictions, and was closely related to the per capita gross domestic product (GDP), the human development index (HDI) and the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries, occupational carcinogen exposure and mobile phone use at the country level.

The research team found that the disease burden of primary brain cancer varied across regions, with Southern Europe having the highest incidence and Western Asia the highest mortality.  The largest increase in incidence rate among males was found in Slovakia. Among females, the largest increase was found in Denmark.

According to the researchers, policymakers in different regions should implement evidence-based, targeted prevention strategies to control relevant risk factors.