[Incidence of pediatric brain tumors in Hungary between 1989 and 1999]

The incidence of primary brain tumors in childhood has increased all over the world in the last decades, so it is the second most frequent tumor after leukaemias.

The aim of this study was to examine the incidence and relative frequency of central nervous system tumors diagnosed under 15 years of age in Hungary.

The data obtained from the Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Group and the National Neurosurgical Institute between 1989 and 1998, and the reports of the head pediatricians of the counties were used.

There were 685 reported cases between 1989 and 1998. The prevalence of cerebral tumors has increased during the last decade in Hungary like that in several developed countries. The increase of the incidence of primary central nervous system tumors in the last ten years was 4.2% per year. In 1998 the incidence of central nervous system tumors was 42.9 cases per million children. The most frequent histological categories were: astrocytoma (30%), medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors (21%), ependymoma (9%) and other tumors (40%).

The results suggest an increase in the incidence of primary brain tumors in Hungary, similar to those reported in several countries.