Survival rate for type of tumor Kennedy has can range from 1 to 5 years

BOSTON -- The survival range for the type of brain tumor Senator Edward Kennedy has been diagnosed with can range from one to five years.

Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year, and is the most common type among adults.

How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is determined by further testing.

But if the tumor is determined to be very advanced and aggressive, like a glioblastoma, survival can be less than a year. Survival for slower growing tumors can be five years.

Treatment normally includes combinations of radiation and chemotherapy.

The 76-year-old senator has been hospitalized in Boston since Saturday, when he was airlifted from Cape Cod after a seizure at his home.

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