Survivors of traumatic brain injury are at a higher risk of dying from brain cancer than the general population, according to a study published in Neuroepidemiology and announced on June 10 by researchers from Mass General Brigham's HealthSpan Lab.
Daniel Daneshvar, MD, PhD, director of the HealthSpan Lab and Chief of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mass General Brigham, and Charlotte Luster, also of the HealthSpan Lab, led the research. The study analyzed data from more than 20,000 civilians with traumatic brain injuries who received inpatient rehabilitation between 1987 and 2024 across 20 centers. Researchers compared observed deaths in this group to expected deaths in a demographically matched general population while adjusting for age, sex, race, and calendar year.
"People with TBI were 1.75 times more likely to die from brain cancer than the general population," said Daneshvar. The study found that individuals whose injuries resulted from gunshot wounds were over 14 times more likely to die from brain cancer. Those with mild but complicated TBI had nearly four times the mortality risk for brain cancer compared to their peers. Moderate-to-severe TBI showed an elevated but statistically nonsignificant risk due to smaller sample sizes.
The findings suggest that certain groups of TBI survivors may benefit from closer long-term monitoring for brain cancer. "For clinicians, the results reinforce that TBI should not be viewed solely as an acute event, but as a condition with potential long-term neurological consequences, including malignancy," said Daneshvar. He added that ongoing follow-up care after serious brain injury is important for patients and families.
The research adds evidence supporting a link between inflammation triggered by TBI and lasting biological effects such as increased cancer risk. While these findings are not yet sufficient to change clinical guidelines, they highlight the need for further studies into surveillance strategies among TBI survivors.
Daneshvar said future work will continue investigating long-term impacts of TBI on various health outcomes, "A key focus will be identifying practical ways to reduce risk and improve long-term outcomes, with an emphasis on maintaining function and quality of life over time."
