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The incidence of medulloblastomas and primitive neurectodermal tumours in adults and children
Nicolas R Smoll1, Katharine J Drummond
1Gippsland Medical School, Northways Road, Monash University, Churchill, Victoria 3842, Australia. nrsmoll@me.com
Insights
Children are significantly more likely to develop medulloblastomas (MB) and primitive neurectodermal tumors (PNET) than adults. Incidence rates for these pediatric brain tumors show no significant change over time.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neuro-oncology
- Cancer Epidemiology
Background:
- Medulloblastomas (MB) and primitive neurectodermal tumors (PNET) are aggressive brain tumors predominantly affecting pediatric populations.
- Understanding the epidemiological differences in incidence between children and adults is crucial for resource allocation and research focus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the incidence rates, ratios, and temporal trends of MB and PNET in pediatric versus adult populations.
- To compare the likelihood of developing MB and PNET between children and adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) database spanning 1973-2007.
- Analyzed incidence rates, incidence rate ratios, and time trends for MB and PNET stratified by age group (children vs. adults) and sex.
Main Results:
- Children aged 1-9 years had an MB incidence rate 10 times higher than adults (6.0 vs. 0.6 per million).
- Children were 4.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with PNET compared to adults.
- Sex-based differences in incidence were observed only in the pediatric population.
- Incidence rates for MB remained stable over the study period.
Conclusions:
- MB and PNET disproportionately affect children, with significantly higher incidence rates compared to adults.
- The epidemiological profile of these tumors in terms of incidence has remained consistent over several decades.
- Further research into the unique factors influencing pediatric MB and PNET is warranted.
Abstract:
Medulloblastomas (MB) and primitive neurectodermal tumours (PNET) are known to affect children more than adults. To estimate the magnitude of the differences between the incidence of adults and children, the incidence rates, ratios and time trends of MB and PNET in children and adults are measured using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) database. Between 1973 and 2007 in the SEER 9 registries, 1372 people were diagnosed with a MB and 530 with a PNET. The overall incidence rate of MB and PNET is approximately 1.5 and 0.62 per million population in the USA. Children (1-9 years of age) with MB had an incidence rate of 6.0, compared to 0.6 in adults, and therefore children are 10 times more likely to be affected by an MB than adults. Children are 4.6 times as likely to be afflicted by a PNET than adults. The difference in incidence rates based on sex existed only in children. Our study confirmed that the incidence rates of MB has not changed over time.
