ABSTRACT
Primary brain tumors are uncommon, in England and Wales, 6500 cases were reported annually between 1995 and 2000 of which 58% were classed malignant (1). In the United Kingdom in 2005 there were 4555 new cases of brain or central nervous system cancers diagnosed, around seven per 100,000 population (2). Every year in the United Kingdom there are over 3500 deaths from brain and other central nervous system cancers, which accounts for just over 2% of all cancer deaths (2). There is however evidence that there is significant under reporting within the United Kingdom, particularly of low grade gliomas. In the United States there is an estimated incidence of 4.5/100,000.
