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Abstract

Tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are a remarkably diverse group of neoplasms and the diversity of their origins is reflected in their biological behavior and clinical manifestations. Primary CNS tumors occur infrequently compared to other tumor types, yet approximately 15,000–20,000 Americans are afflicted each year. In contrast to the relative rarity of these tumors in adults, brain tumors are the second most common type of tumor seen during childhood occurring with an incidence of 2.2–2.5 cases per 100,000 children per year. The incidence of brain tumors wanes during early adulthood, although they again occur with increasing frequency in the fourth decade of life, after which the incidence continues to increase. The incidence of brain tumors in the elderly is rising, although the reason for this is unknown.

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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Israel, M.A. (1998). Brain Tumors. In: Jameson, J.L. (eds) Principles of Molecular Medicine. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-726-0_107

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-726-0_107

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-6272-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-726-0

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