Second Primary Tumors After Primary Brain Tumors and Vice Versa: A Single-Center, Retrospective Study

Advancements in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have improved survival for brain tumor patients, increasing the risk of second primary tumors (SPTs) among long-term survivors. This study examines the types and risks of SPTs in brain tumor patients presenting at a tertiary care hospital.

This single-center, retrospective study explored occurrences of SPTs following primary brain tumors and occurrences of brain tumors as SPTs following primary extra neural tumors. A total of 41 patients were included and analyzed presenting with histologically confirmed SPTs between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2020.

The study included 41 patients with SPTs, primarily female (65.9%). Of these, 20 patients (48.7%) developed SPTs after a primary brain tumor, while 21 patients (51.2%) developed brain tumors as SPTs after extra-neural tumors. Among patients who developed SPTs after brain tumors (n=20), meningioma (n=8, 40.0%) and pituitary adenoma (n=6, 30.0%) were the most prevalent first primary tumors (FPTs) while breast tumors predominated as SPTs (n=4, 20.0%). Survival analysis indicated younger mean age (44.5 years) for patients marked alive, compared to those marked deceased (57.0 years) and those with unknown outcomes (63.0 years).

Based on this retrospective analysis, the median age at diagnosis was 44.5 years, with a considerable number of patients (36.6%) having uncertain outcomes at follow-up due to incomplete records. These findings highlight the need for improved follow-up data management to better assess long-term survival in patients with SPTs following brain tumors.