No abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary CNS malignancy with a median survival of 15 months. The average incidence rate (IR) of GBM is 3.19/100,000 population and the median age of diagnosis is 64 years. Incidence is higher in men and individuals of white race and non-Hispanic ethnicity. Many genetic and environmental factors have been studied in GBM but the majority are sporadic and no risk factor accounting for a large proportion of GBMs has been identified. However, several favorable clinical prognostic factors are identified including, younger age at diagnosis, cerebellar location, high performance status and maximal tumor resection. GBMs comprise of primary and secondary subtypes which evolve through different genetic pathways, affect patients at different ages and have differences in outcomes. We report the current epidemiology of GBM with new data from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) 2006–2010 as well as demonstrate and discuss trends in incidence and survival. We also provide a concise review on molecular markers in GBM that have helped distinguish biologically similar subtypes of GBM and have prognostic and predictive value.

Background:Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare subtype of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma that accounts for ∼4% of newly diagnosed central nervous system (CNS) tumours. The objective of this study was to analyse the epidemiology, incidence, and outcome of these rare tumours.Methods:Primary brain and CNS lymphoma cases were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) research data sets for the years 1980–2008 for analysis of trends in incidence and survival. SEER*Stat v. 7.0.4 software was used to analyse the data.Results:The overall incidence rate of PCNSL was 0.47 per 100 000 person-years. The incidence was significantly higher in males compared with females, blacks aged 0–49 years at diagnosis compared with whites, and whites aged 50 years and older at diagnosis compared with blacks. After a significant decline in incidence between 1995 and 1999, incidence rates rose slightly; those aged 75+ years at diagnosis had the most dramatic increase in incidence rates over time. Five-year survival rates were significantly higher in whites compared with blacks aged 0–49 years at diagnosis, but was primarily driven by white women aged 0–49 years.Conclusion:There is an increase in incidence of PCNSL in the elderly, and elderly blacks have lower incidence compared with white population. Survival remains poor and is negatively dominated by factors associated with HIV infection and advanced age.

The EORTC/NCIC 22981/26981 study demonstrated an improvement in median overall survival (OS) from 12.1 to 14.6 months in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) who received temozolomide with post-operative radiotherapy (RT). The current study was performed to determine if those results translated into a survival benefit in a population-based cohort. Patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2006 with a GBM who underwent surgery and post-operative RT were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Patients were grouped into time periods: 2000–2001, 2002–2003, 2004 and 2005–2006 (which represented those treated after the EORTC/NCIC trial presentation in 2004). Relative survival (RS) was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method, and Cox multivariable regression modeling was used to estimate proportional hazard ratios (HR). Over time, there was improvement in the median and 2-year RS of 12 months and 15% for 2000–2001, 13 months and 19% for 2002–2003, 14 months and 24% for 2004, and 15 months and 26% for 2005–2006 (P < 0.0001 compared to 2000–2001 and 2002–2003; P = 0.07 compared to 2004). The estimated adjusted HR showed that patients diagnosed in 2005–2006 had significantly improved survival when compared to patients diagnosed in 2000–2001 (HR = 0.648, 95% CI 0.604–0.696). The median and 2 year RS of 15 months and 26% in 2005–2006 was similar to the median and 2 year OS of 14.6 months and 26% seen in the EORTC/NCIC phase III study. These results are encouraging and suggest that the current treatment of glioblastoma nationwide is now associated with an improved survival compared to previous time cohorts.

This evaluation of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial database investigated the effects of dietary PUFA on disease outcomes that may relate to polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biochemistry. The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial was a randomized clinical trial in coronary heart disease (CHD) primary prevention involving 12,866 middle-aged men determined to be at high risk of CHD. They were assigned to either a special intervention group or a usual care group and returned to clinics on an annual basis for assessment of risk factor status. Only data on the usual care men (n = 6,250) are presented, since the multi-intervention effects on the special intervention group introduce considerable analytic complexities. Mean PUFA intake estimates were calculated from four dietary recall interviews at baseline and follow-up Years 1, 2, and 3 and estimates for PUFA were established using absolute grams, percentage of total kilocalories, and ratios. Proportional hazards regression analysis controlling for age, race and baseline diastolic blood pressure, smoking, high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and alcohol was used to analyze dietary PUFA intakes on 10.5-year mortality rates. Results were more significant when PUFA were expressed as percentage of total kilocalories. No significant associations with mortality were detected for linoleic acid (18:2n-6), the predominant dietary PUFA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)