July 21, 2021: Glioblastoma Awareness Day

In May during Brain Tumor Awareness Month, Senate Resolution 210 was introduced and passed, designating July 21, 2021, as "Glioblastoma Awareness Day.” The resolution creates an occasion to bring glioblastoma (GBM) patients and caregivers into our nation’s spotlight.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive, high-grade tumor that can occur anywhere in the brain or spinal cord. More than 13,000 men, women and children are diagnosed with glioblastoma each year. In adults, it is the most common type of brain cancer; in children, glioblastomas account for approximately 3-15% of primary central nervous system tumors. According to the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, the five-year survival rate for children with glioblastomas is about 20 percent.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) represents approximately 80% of the malignant brainstem tumors occurring in children. Despite numerous clinical trials, the outcome for children with DIPG continues to remain dismal, with a median survival of 9–12 months and a 2-year overall survival rate of less than 10%.

This spring, Rachel McCallum, a young adult survivor of astrocytoma – a type of glioma – penned a guest blog series for Children’s Cancer Cause sharing her challenges from childhood to now as adult. We hope that you will read Rachel’s posts to gain a unique insight into the challenges of a glioma survivor.

Glioblastoma Awareness Day is an opportunity to honor those that have been affected and take action to defeat these devastating tumors. Follow #GBMDay on social media and share/retweet often. Our friends at the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) are leading the way on this campaign so be sure to follow them on Twitter at @NBTStweets.

---