Epidemiological Study of Malignant Gliomas in Korea Using Nationwide Dataset from 2007 to 2017

The purpose of the study was to investigate the incidence, prevalence, and survival of malignant gliomas (MGs) using population-based Korean National Health Insurance Database (NHID) data.

Using the Korean NHID, we identified patients with MG as C71 codes in KCD 5-7 according to ICD-10 from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2017. Epidemiological characteristics of MG, including annual incidence, prevalence, mortality rates, and survival rates, were collected and analyzed according to socioeconomic state (SES) and treatments received.

We identified 45,066 newly diagnosed-MG patients from 2007 to 2017, for an age-adjusted incidence of 7.47 per 100,000 people. The mean age at diagnosis was 54 years. The male to female ratio was 1.11. Mortality and survival probability were analyzed among total subjects and in subgroups. The mortality rates were lower in female than that of male patients (hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.71), and in younger age population and in higher income group. Patients operated had a slightly higher survival rate. The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were estimated at 63.4%, 46.2%, 39.4%, and 34.8%, respectively. This is the first population-based study to determine the incidence and prevalence of MG according to epidemiological characteristics in Korea using NHID.

Our study found that female sex and high SES were factors that significantly lowered the mortality rate in MG, and younger groups and operated patients showed significantly higher survival rates.