Brain tumors linked to traumatic brain injury: 3 study notes

A history of traumatic brain injury may be associated with an increased risk of developing a malignant brain tumor, according to a study published Aug. 25 in JAMA Network Open. 

Led by a team from Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, researchers evaluated patient data from more than 75,000 people with a history of mild, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury for the study.

Here are three notes on their findings:

1. The risk of developing a malignant brain tumor was significantly higher for individuals with a history of traumatic brain injury compared to those with no history of traumatic brain injury.

   Among individuals with a history of moderate and severe traumatic brain injury, 0.6% developed brain tumors within three to five years after the injury. A history of mild traumatic brain injury was not associated with an increased risk of tumor.

2. The study does not determine causality, establish a cause-and-effect link between traumatic brain injury and malignant tumors, or identify the underlying mechanisms of the association, according to an Aug. 25 news release from Mass General Brigham.
3. “Our work over the past five years has shown that TBI is a chronic condition with lasting effects,” Saef Izzy, MD, a neurologist and head of the Immunology of CNS Injury program at Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said in the release. “Evidence of a potential increased risk of malignant brain tumors adds urgency to shift the focus from short-term recovery to lifelong vigilance.”

Read the full study here.

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