Epidemiological characteristics of myxopapillary ependymoma and factors affecting overall survival: a SEER-based...

Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is a rare tumor. Most studies have discussed the clinical symptoms and treatment of individual cases, but limited data are provided on overall survival and its influencing factors. Consequently, we aimed to further explore the epidemiological features of MPE and factors influencing overall survival.

The cohort study extracted information about all patients diagnosed with intracranial MPE from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 2004-2015. Epidemiological characteristics and prognostic factors after adjustment for different variables were analyzed. Outcomes were 5- and 10-year overall survival. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model, with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

A total of 1,026 cases were identified in the SEER database. No significant difference was found between the incidence of total MPE and the incidence of non-malignant MPE from 2004 to 2015, and there was no incidence trend. The incidence of MPE was higher among people aged 30-34 and 45-49 years old. In 2005, 2007 and 2011, the incidence of men was greater than that of women (P<0.001). Blacks had a lower incidence than whites in years other than 2007, 2010, and 2013. The older age (older vs. younger: HR =1.081, 95% CI: 1.055-1.107), widowed status (widowed vs. single/unmarried: HR =3.058, 95% CI: 1.282-7.296), no surgery (surgery vs. no surgery: HR =0.283, 95% CI: 0.126-0.635), and radiotherapy (radiotherapy vs. no radiotherapy: HR =4.355, 95% CI: 2.211-8.578) were significantly adverse prognostic factors.

Age, marital status, surgery and radiotherapy are factors influencing the overall survival of MPE patients. Surgery is still the main therapeutic choice, while radiotherapy plays a negative role in the management of MPE. Therefore, prospective research is required to verify and complement our findings for MPE control.