Brain Cancer Awareness Month

Brain Cancer Awareness Month, also known as Brain Tumor Awareness Month or Gray May, falls in the month of May. The United States first established Brain Tumor Awareness Month in 2008.

This event is recognized worldwide as a chance to raise awareness about brain cancer, and encourage fundraising to support research into treating the disease.

One of the symbols used to represent brain cancer awareness is a gray ribbon. Gray was the designated color for the event, and the ribbon is another way for people to showcase their support for those affected by brain cancer.

The brain is critical for most bodily functions. It controls thought, memory, emotion, breathing, movement and more. In conjunction, the spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of your body through the nervous system, allowing the brain to send messages to the rest of the body.

Brain cancer occurs when a group of abnormal cells in the brain starts to grow uncontrollably, forming a tumor. According to the US National Cancer Institute, in 2026, almost 25,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with cancers of the brain or spinal cord.

Cancerous tumors found in the brain are likely to grow fast and spread into other parts of the brain. This becomes a problem when a tumor begins to press into a particular part of the brain. This may prevent that part of the brain from working normally, affecting one’s ability to function.

Usually, brain tumors that start in the brain rarely spread to other parts of the body. These are known as primary brain tumors. However, a large number of brain tumors may have begun elsewhere in the body, and have instead spread to the brain as a metastatic brain tumor. Any cancer may spread to the brain, making metastatic brain tumors more common than primary brain tumors. This is usually seen in advanced cases of breast cancer, lung cancer or skin cancer.

Generally, the signs and symptoms of brain tumors include:

• Headaches
• Nausea or vomiting
• Vision issues
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Numbness or loss of movement in a limb
• Fatigue, confusion or memory problems
• Behavioral changes
• Seizures

However, these symptoms vary for every person, and depend on the size, location and speed of growth of the tumor.

In August 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved dordaviprone (Modeyso), the first targeted therapy for diffuse midline glioma, a rare, aggressive, fast-growing brain cancer usually found in children aged five to ten years old.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, a new technology used to treat blood cancers successfully, is also currently being repurposed to treat brain cancer. The treatment works by extracting and reprogramming immune cells from the body, in order to recognize and target specific proteins found in tumors.

While early clinical trials showcase promising results, challenges still remain in development to ensure its effectiveness and accessibility. Continued research in this area will be critical to improving outcomes for those facing difficult-to-treat cases of brain cancer.

In the US, there have been a few brain cancer support groups established, including:

• American Brain Tumor Association
• National Brain Tumor Society
• Glioblastoma Foundation
• Brain Tumor Foundation

There are a few brain cancer support groups for patients available, run by Emory University, the University of California San Francisco, and Mayo Clinic. Find more support brain cancer support groups available here.