Why Are Brain Tumors More Deadly for Kids in Poorer Neighborhoods? [Video]

Key Takeaways

Children with inoperable brain tumors die sooner if they live in a poorer neighborhoodKids from wealthy neighborhoods survived more than twice as long as those from poor areasLess education also had an impact on a child’s treatment

MONDAY, June 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) — U.S. children with inoperable brain tumors appear to die sooner and find it harder to get care if they live in poorer neighborhoods, a new study finds.

Children from higher-income areas had more than double the average survival time than kids from poorer neighborhoods — 480 days versus 235 days, depending if a census tract had an average household income higher or lower than $50,000.

Kids in wealthier neighborhoods were also able to travel significantly longer distances to get the best medical care, 1,550 miles versus 1,114 miles for children in lower-income areas, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

“Children with these inoperable gliomas require access to …