This week, U.S. Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) put forth a resolution to designate May 2025 as National Brain Tumor Awareness Month. Brain tumors, particularly deadly among children’s cancers, have a survival rate of merely 25%. Congressman McCaul stated, “Among all childhood cancers, brain tumors are the leading cause of death, with a mere 25% survival rate — an unacceptable reality that no child or their family should have to face.” He further emphasized the need for prioritizing investments into cancer research, viewing the resolution as a step forward in raising awareness and fostering life-saving research.
In Illinois, where nearly 4,000 residents are diagnosed annually with brain or central nervous system tumors, Congressman Quigley remarked on the significant impact on patients’ health and finances. “These cases wreak havoc on their patients’ physical, mental, and financial health,” he said. “I’m proud to cosponsor this resolution each year to honor those who have lost their lives to these tumors and advocate for further research to defeat this disease.”
Annually, tens of thousands of Americans learn they have a primary brain tumor, with malignant tumors having just a 36% five-year survival rate. There are over one million people currently living with a primary brain tumor in the U.S., and approximately 94,000 more cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2025. Despite advances, mortality rates for brain tumors have not significantly improved and remain the leading cause of cancer death for children and teenagers.
The resolution promoted by McCaul and Quigley seeks to boost public awareness and endorse collaboration in brain tumor research, calling for cooperation among private, non-profit research foundations and federally supported medical research institutions.
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