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Prognostic factors of pediatric ependymomas at a National Cancer Reference Center in Peru
Eduardo Perez-Roca1, Tatiana Negreiros2, Sandro Casavilca-Zambrano3
1School of Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
Insights
Ependymoma survival rates in Peru are lower than in high-income countries. Incomplete treatment and abandonment negatively impact prognosis, highlighting a need for further research into treatment barriers for pediatric central nervous system tumors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neuro-oncology
- Clinical Epidemiology
Background:
- Ependymomas are aggressive central nervous system tumors with high mortality and morbidity.
- Significant impact on quality of life for affected individuals.
- Lack of national clinical characteristic reports for ependymoma in Peru.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical characteristics of ependymoma in pediatric patients in Peru.
- To analyze prognostic factors affecting survival.
- To provide baseline data for future research and improved patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study design.
- Inclusion of patients under 19 years diagnosed with ependymoma from 2012-2022.
- Data collected from a tertiary center in Lima, Peru.
Main Results:
- 85 pediatric patients with ependymoma were analyzed.
- 5-year overall survival was 55.89%; progression-free survival was 37.71%.
- Completed treatment, adjuvant chemotherapy, absence of metastasis, and no recurrence were positive prognostic factors.
Conclusions:
- Survival rates for ependymoma in Peru are lower compared to high-income nations.
- Incomplete treatment and treatment abandonment are significant negative prognostic factors.
- Further research is required to understand and address barriers in the ependymoma patient referral and treatment pathway.
Background:
Ependymomas are central nervous system tumors that significantly impact the quality of life and carry a high mortality rate. Both the disease itself and its treatment cause significant morbidity. At a national level in Peru, there are no reports on clinical characteristics of the disease.
Methods:
This retrospective study captured patient aged less than 19 years with a diagnosis of ependymoma from 2012 to 2022 at a tertiary center in Lima.
Results:
85 patients were included with a median follow-up time was 51.6 months. The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 55.89% (95% CI: 44.28 - 65.99) and 37.71% (95% CI: 26,21-49,16) respectively. The main prognostic factors identified were completed treatment (p=0.019), adjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.048), presence of metastasis (p=0.012), and disease recurrence (p=0.02).
Conclusions:
The survival of patients with ependymoma is below that reported in high-income countries. Incomplete treatment and treatment abandonment are factors that negatively impact the prognosis. Further studies are needed to identify barriers in the referral and treatment process for patients with ependymoma.
