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Research
Our vision is: To find the cause of and a cure for brain tumours while improving the quality of life for those affected. Research is the key to achieving our vision.
Brain Tumour Registry of Canada
Making sure every brain tumour counts.
What is the Brain Tumour Surveillance Research Collaborative?
The Brain Tumour Surveillance Research Collaborative (formerly known as Brain Tumour Registry of Canada) collects data from every tumour diagnosed to better understand prevalence and survival rates for brain tumours and to get a clearer picture of who is affected and any possible causes. It was officially launched in May 2019.
What information is available through the registry?
The Incidence and Mortality Report is the most thorough report of its kind in Canada. Following the very first Incidence Report published in May 2019 (which presented data collected between 2010-2015 in four provinces: BC, AB, MB, ON), the 2021 report uses information from all provinces and territories (excluding Quebec). This pan-Canadian view greatly increases our understanding of brain and central nervous system tumours in Canada.
The first all-Canadian Survival Report breaks down 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates in BC, AB, MB, and ON, and adds non-malignant tumour data, making it the first of its kind.
Why is it important?
For a long time, the only brain tumour demographic research available to Canadian medical professionals came from the United States. Our 2021 Incidence and Mortality Report now provides a comprehensive look at brain tumours across Canada, using all-Canadian data.
What does ‘making sure every brain tumour counts’ mean?
It means that every tumour has research value. The more information we have about all types of brain tumours, the better equipped our medical professionals are to provide the best possible treatment for each patient. A unique feature of the Brain Tumour Registry is that it features data on both malignant and non-malignant tumours.
Not only that, but having such detailed information on brain tumours helps secure funding for research, health care delivery and drug approvals by federal and provincial agencies.
2025 Research and Surveillance Highlights
The Brain Tumour Surveillance Research Collaborative (formerly known as Brain Tumour Registry of Canada) had a highly productive year in 2025. We published a peer-reviewed study examining the diagnostic costs of brain tumours relative to other common cancers in Canada, representing, to our knowledge, the first analysis of this kind.
In parallel, our four-year program to develop and validate an artificial intelligence tool for identifying secondary brain tumours (brain metastases) in radiology reports has reached the final stages of completion. Findings from this work were presented at three national and international conferences, and the tool has been shared with the cancer registries in Alberta and British Columbia. Regarding surveillance of primary brain tumours, we obtained access to the most recent Canadian Cancer Registry diagnosis data. A national surveillance report is planned for release in 2026 and will, for the first time, include incidence rates from Quebec.
Primary brain tumour statistics in Canada: Incidence, prevalence and survival rates
Primary brain tumours are heterogeneous, with different treatment pathways and prognoses depending on their classification. Due to their location, all brain tumours, regardless of their malignancy, can be debilitating. In this webinar, Dr. Yan Yuan, from the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, shares key findings from the latest data, including incidence, prevalence, and survival rates for 25 brain tumour groups classified by location and histology. These rates are based on analysis of the vital status linked to Candian Cancer Registry data.
