In rich countries, five men in every 200, 000, and twice as many women, develop tumours called meningiomas that affect the membranes surrounding the brain.
Meningiomas represent about one-third of all primary brain tumors and are most frequently found in middle-aged women, the American Brain Tumor Association's website states.
Ironically, because past research studying the after-effects of exposure to things like atom bombs and radiation treatments for cancer suggests the most important environmental risk factor for meningiomas is ionising radiation.