Brain cancer can arise either through cancerous cells originating in the brain or through cancerous cells originating in other organs and metastasizing to the brain. When cancerous cells originate in the brain, it is often called gliomas or glioblastoma multiform (GBM). In the US, gliomas, and GBMs make up ~30,000 cases yearly. These cancers can be highly lethal and are often treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, temozolomide (Temodar). Temodar is one of the few cancer drugs which can penetrate the blood-brain barrier.

When cancer starts outside the brain and later spreads there, it most often originates from lung, breast, melanoma (skin), or kidney cancer. Brain metastases account for ~250,000 cases each year, and the number is rising rapidly. As treatments for these cancers improve, the incidence of brain metastases is also increasing. For example, the rate of brain metastasis in advanced breast cancer has increased from approximately 12% in 2000 to an estimated 30%. Treatment options for brain metastases may include radiation therapy, surgery, or other ablative techniques. The ability to molecularly characterize the disease and deliver systemic therapies to primary brain tumors or brain metastases remains a critical unmet medical need.

For more information on brain cancers, please see the National Brain Tumor Society.