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Spectrum of pediatric brain tumors in India: a multi-institutional study
Ayushi Jain1, Mehar C Sharma, Vaishali Suri
1Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
Insights
This study details the histological spectrum of pediatric brain tumors in India, finding astrocytic tumors to be most common. The findings offer crucial insights into childhood brain cancer epidemiology in the region.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neuro-oncology
- Cancer epidemiology
- Histopathology
Background:
- Limited multi-institutional data exists on pediatric brain tumor epidemiology in India.
- Understanding the epidemiological profile is crucial for targeted research and treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the histological spectrum of pediatric brain tumors across seven tertiary care hospitals in India.
- To establish a comprehensive epidemiological profile of childhood brain tumors in the Indian subcontinent.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 3,936 pediatric patients (<18 years) diagnosed with primary brain tumors.
- Tumor classification followed the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
- Data collected from seven tertiary care institutions across India.
Main Results:
- Astrocytic tumors were the most frequent (34.7%), followed by medulloblastoma/supratentorial primitive neuro-ectodermal tumors (22.4%).
- Craniopharyngiomas (10.2%) and ependymal tumors (9.8%) were also significant. Pilocytic astrocytoma was the most common astrocytic tumor.
- Oligodendrogliomas and lymphomas were found to be rare in the pediatric population compared to adults.
Conclusions:
- This study represents the first multi-institutional report on the histological spectrum of pediatric brain tumors in India.
- The histological profile is largely similar to Western literature, with a notable exception of a slightly higher incidence of craniopharyngiomas.
- Findings provide a foundational understanding for future research and clinical management of pediatric brain tumors in India.
Background:
Till date there is no published multi-institutional data regarding the epidemiological profile of pediatric brain tumors in India.
Aim:
The present retrospective study analyses the histological spectrum of pediatric age group brain tumors in seven tertiary care hospitals in India.
Material And Methods:
Data regarding frequencies of various primary brain tumors (diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification), in 3936 pediatric patients (<18 yrs of age), was collected from seven tertiary care hospitals in India.
Results:
The most common primary pediatric brain tumors were astrocytic tumors (34.7%), followed by medulloblastoma and supratentorial primitive neuro-ectodermal tumors (22.4%), craniopharyngiomas (10.2%) and ependymal tumors (9.8%). The most common astrocytic tumor was pilocytic astrocytoma. In comparison to adults, oligodendrogliomas and lymphomas were rare in children.
Conclusions:
Our study is the first such report on the histological spectrum of brain tumors in children in India. Except for a slightly higher frequency of craniopharyngiomas, the histological profile of pediatric brain tumors in India is similar to that reported in the Western literature.
