Epidemiology for primary brain tumors: a nationwide population-based study

Abstract

Primary central nervous system tumors (PCNST) are rare tumors responsible for high mortality and morbidity. Their epidemiology is poorly known, and clinical data are scarcely analyzed at a national level. In this study, we aimed at providing descriptive epidemiological data and incidence rates for all histological subtypes of PCNST according to the WHO classification. We conducted a nationwide population-based study of all newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed PCNST in France, between 2006 and 2011. A total of 57,816 patients were included: male 46.4%, median age at diagnosis 56 years old (range 0-99). For all newly diagnosed PCNST with histological confirmation the crude incidence rate was 15.5/10 per 100,000 person-years. To enable international comparisons, standardized rates were calculated: 14.1/10 (population of reference: USA), 14.5/10 (population of reference: Europe), and 12.0/10 (population of reference: world). 23.4% of samples were cryopreserved. Resection was performed in 79.1% of cases. Results are detailed (incidence rate, sex ratio, median age at diagnosis, number of cryopreserved samples, and type of surgery) for each of the 143 histological subtypes of PCNST, including all rare tumors. For example, incidence rates (population of reference: USA) were 0.018/10 for anaplastic gangliogliomas, 0.054/10 for malignant meningiomas, and 0.036/10 for hemangiopericytomas. Our study is the first to describe incidence rates and epidemiological data for all histological subtypes of PCNST, including rare tumors, at a national level. Its methodology ensures the exhaustiveness of the data collection for histologically-proven cases. Histological population-based studies have many perspectives in the field of clinical epidemiology and research.

Clinical presentation and epidemiology of brain tumors firstly diagnosed in adults in the Emergency Department: a 10-year, single center retrospective study

“…Notably, a considerable part was serendipitously diagnosed (i.e., 7.8%, thus approaching 2 cases per year), when undergoing a CT scan for head injury. This data substantially confirms that observed in a previous study (17). Glial tumors were the most frequently diagnosed in our sample, followed by meningiomas, metastases and others miscellaneous tumors.…”

“…This is the reason why we originally decided to simplify the classification of our patient population by grouping similar tumor types in substantially homogeneous groups. The mean age of our patients was found to be higher than that previously reported (17), and this is probably due to the exclusion of pediatric patients from our study. All the age groups (i.e., >18 years) were represented in our population, with a higher prevalence of patients aged more than 50 years, but with no significant differences among the different histological subgroups.…”

Mystery of the brain metastatic disease in breast cancer patients: improved patient stratification, disease prediction and targeted prevention on the horizon?

“…On one side, primary brain tumour is a rare disorder responsible for high mortality and morbidity: relatively low prevalence in general population is ranging between 12.0 and 15.5 per 100,000 person-year for different countries and regions worldwide [2][3][4][5]. On the other side, the brain is one of the predominant sites of the metastatic spread recorded for more than 20% of breast cancer patients in several individual subgroups [6,7].…”

Feeling cold and other underestimated symptoms in breast cancer: anecdotes or individual profiles for advanced patient stratification?

“…[9]. The article analyses important aspects of the interrelation between particularly aggressive BC subtypes and brain metastasis: on one side, primary brain tumour is a rare disorder responsible for high mortality and morbidity: relatively low prevalence in general population is ranging between 12.0 and 15.5 per 100,000 person-year for different countries and regions worldwide [10][11][12][13]. On the other side, the brain is one of the predominant sites of the metastatic spread recorded for more than 20% of breast cancer patients in several individual subgroups [14,15].…”