Study Shows Troops That Sustain Serious Brain Injuries Have Higher Risk of Brain Cancer

Figures show that brain cancer occurs in less than 1% of the population in America. At least one-third of individuals diagnosed with primary brain cancer tumors survive for at least five years. Those with glioblastoma, a common type of brain cancer, have about a 14% chance of living an additional five years. This is dependent on the age of diagnosis, however.

While what causes brain cancer is still unknown, scientists theorize that exposure to ionized radiation may be linked to this illness.

Now, new research has found that veterans who experience head injuries have a heightened risk of developing brain cancer. The research was carried out by investigators at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; the University of Texas San Antonio; the Bethesda, a medical college based in Maryland; and Duke University, among others.

The research involved the assessment of data from almost two million veterans obtained from records at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. The researchers classified traumatic brain injury as mild, moderate, penetrating or severe, determining that about one-quarter of those assessed had experience traumatic brain injuries.

Of the total number of service members who had never experienced a traumatic brain injury, 0.02% individuals had been diagnosed with brain cancer. An additional 0.02% of those in the mild traumatic brain injury group were also diagnosed with brain cancer while 0.04% of those in the moderate or severe group were diagnosed with brain cancer. Additionally, the researchers found that 0.06% of those with penetrating wounds developed cancer.

In their report, the researchers argued that their findings could be useful for general medicine, although the group studied was probably not completely applicable. The research focused on a young and predominantly male population.

The study’s main strengths were its size, which involved almost two million patients, and the fact that it was conducted during a period of more than seven years. Its limitations included the fact that the investigators couldn’t access actual laboratory results, they relied on diagnoses recorded in medical records.

The research also didn’t include individuals whose traumatic brain injuries were diagnosed and treated outside the Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense health systems. Additionally, some individuals were excluded from the research because they hadn’t had a health appointment during the period of study.

In their report, the researchers highlighted the need for additional studies into this to identify individuals at risk and come up with screening protocols given the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries in the United States military.

The research’s findings were reported in the “JAMA Network Open.”

The high prevalence of brain cancers within the military community creates an added urgency upon companies such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) that are working to develop better treatments for central nervous system malignancies.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP

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