title: Brain tumor epidemiology: consensus from the Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium.
abstract: Epidemiologists in the Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium (BTEC) have prioritized areas for further research. Although many risk factors have been examined over the past several decades, there are few consistent findings, possibly because of small sample sizes in individual studies and differences between studies in patients, tumor types, and methods of classification. Individual studies generally have lacked samples of sufficient size to examine interactions. A major priority based on available evidence and technologies includes expanding research in genetics and molecular epidemiology of brain tumors. BTEC has taken an active role in promoting understudied groups, such as pediatric brain tumors; the etiology of rare glioma subtypes, such as oligodendroglioma; and meningioma, which, although it is not uncommon, has only recently been registered systematically in the United States. There also is a pressing need for more researchers, especially junior investigators, to study brain tumor epidemiology. However, relatively poor funding for brain tumor research has made it difficult to encourage careers in this area. In this report, BTEC epidemiologists reviewed the group's consensus on the current state of scientific findings, and they present a consensus on research priorities to identify which important areas the science should move to address.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. mbondy@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bondy
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Scheurer
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malmer
authors.forename: Jill S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Barnholtz-Sloan
authors.forename: Faith G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Il'yasova
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kruchko
authors.forename: Bridget J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Preetha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajaraman
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schwartzbaum
authors.forename: Siegal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadetzki
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schlehofer
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tihan
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wiemels
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wrensch
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Buffler
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D040421:Cell Phone; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
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