World Brain Tumour Day 2025 urges global action for awareness and timely diagnosis

Team L&M

Do you or someone close to you experience frequent headaches, numbness or weakness in limbs, seizures, vision or speech changes, imbalance, or sudden memory issues? These could be early symptoms of a brain tumour, a serious and potentially life-threatening neurological condition. If these symptoms become more frequent or severe, it could indicate brain tumor. Brain tumors often grow slowly but can strike suddenly.

On World Brain Tumour Day 2025, observed globally on Sunday, June 8, the spotlight turns toward an often-overlooked yet life-threatening condition. Established to raise public awareness and promote better understanding, this annual observance is a rallying point for patients, caregivers, doctors, and health advocates to unite for one mission — early detection, effective treatment, and stronger support for those affected by brain tumours.

Brain tumours affect people across all age groups and can have devastating consequences if not diagnosed and treated early. Symptoms are often vague or misinterpreted — chronic headaches, vision disturbances, imbalance, mood changes, or seizures — leading to delays in diagnosis. This year’s theme, Think Fast, Act Early, reinforces the importance of recognizing warning signs and seeking medical help promptly.

According to the World Health Organization, brain and central nervous system tumors impact over 300,000 people globally every year. In India, nearly 40,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, and a significant number remain undetected until symptoms become severe.

There are two types of Brain Tumors, Benign and Malignant. Benign brain tumors are noncancerous. Malignant primary brain tumors are cancers that originate in the brain, typically grow faster than benign tumors, and aggressively invade surrounding tissue. Although brain cancer rarely spreads to other organs, it can spread to other parts of the brain and central nervous system. Diagnosis and treatment for Brain Tumors had great advancement in last few years. People with brain tumors have several treatment options. The options are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Many people get a combination of treatments. Treatments are suggested according to their type, grade, and position of tumor and general health of patient.

Dr. Ashwin Borkar, Consultant Neurosurgeon at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, emphasizes the critical need for timely intervention says, “Brain tumours don’t always come with loud warnings. Many start with subtle symptoms that are easy to ignore or misattribute. But early diagnosis can be life-saving. On World Brain Tumour Day, we urge people to listen to their bodies, get regular health check-ups, and never overlook persistent symptoms. Awareness and timely imaging can make all the difference.”

“Research is ongoing into why brain tumors form. Medical researchers have identified some possible causes. People who receive radiation therapy to the head during childhood and those who work in areas with high radiation levels are more likely to develop brain tumors later in life. The disease can also run in families,” says Dr. Bhavani Prasad Ganji, Senior Neurosurgeon at CARE Hospitals in Hitech City, Hyderabad.

“The fight against brain tumours isn’t just clinical — it’s also social. Breaking the stigma, improving access to specialized care, and supporting caregivers are just as important. Together, we can build a community that’s informed, compassionate, and proactive,” adds Dr Borkar.

Agrees Dr Prasad: “Delays can be life-threatening. Brain tumour outcomes depend on just two things, awareness and timely action.