1.	Brain tumour research is under-funded and the public, in general, is unaware of the magnitude of the problem
2.	Brain tumours have recently overtaken leukaemia as the most common malignancy and cause of death in children
3.	There is a 5% to 10% annual increase in paediatric brain tumours
4.	Lack of funding and research into the treatment of malignant brain tumours means survival rates are no better than they were 40 years ago
5.	The cure rate for most brain tumours is significantly lower than that for most other types of cancer
6.	Because of their location at the control centre for thought, emotion and physical function, brain tumours are difficult to treat
7.	Approximately only one third of patients survive for five years following the diagnosis of a primary or malignant brain tumour
8.	Around 4,500 new cases of primary brain tumours are diagnosed in the UK each year.  In Yorkshire we saw 600 adults (with around 120 affected by the most aggressive high grade tumours) and 25 children as newly diagnosed patients in 2005
9.	Brain tumours are the second most common cause of neurological death (stroke is the most common)
10.	Currently, brain tumours cannot be prevented because their cause is still unknown
11.	Brain tumours are the second leading cause of cancer death in Children under age 15 and in young adults up to age 34
12.	Many tumours seen in adult patients are distinct and infrequently seen in children
13.	There are over 120 different types of brain tumours, making effective treatment very complicated
14.	Brain tumours are currently treated by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy
15.	Brain tumours are the second fastest growing cause of cancer death among those over age 65, and unlike the first and third fastest growing causes (lung cancer and melanoma), no behavioural change has been shown to reduce the risk
16.	Research is progressing into a number of new areas such as oncogenes (the presence of special genes in our cells that may be associated with cancer) and the abnormal production of specialised growth factors