Prognostic factors in childhood intracranial neoplasms

Thirty-six cases of primary itracranial neoplasm in children (over 1 year but under 13 years of age) seen at the university medical center between 1951 and 1982 were reviewed because of concern as to the results and after-effects of applied therapy. The overall 5-year actuarial survival rate was 17%. Several factors of possible prognostic relevance, such as patient's age, intracranial location of the tumor, application or non-application of therapy, single or multiple modes of therapy, and extent of surgery, were analyzed. Completeness of surgical removal of the tumor proved to be the only statistically significant factor that correlated with survival. There was only one recorded case of severe learning disability and abnormal neuropsychologic development among the 12 living patients. The influence of patient's age (and technical factors) at the time of irradiation in correlation with the child's subsequent posttreatment functional performance, as reported in the literature, is reviewed.