Incidence and Survival of Central Nervous System Tumors in Reunion Island: A Population-Based Study

Primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors are rare but carry significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Epidemiological data in diverse populations, such as Reunion Island - a multiethnic French and European outermost region - remain scarce. While robust data are available for mainland France, to our knowledge, no comprehensive description of primary CNS tumors in the population of Reunion Island has yet been reported.

We analyzed primary CNS tumors diagnosed between 2006 and 2020 using the Reunion Island population-based cancer registry. We estimated age-standardized incidence rates, tumor subtype distributions, and survival outcomes and compared them with international data and those from mainland France.

A total of 1,162 cases of primary CNS tumors were identified between 2006 and 2020. ASRs were 8.9 and 10.7 per 100,000 person-years in men and women, respectively. Meningiomas were the most frequent tumors (52.6%), with a markedly higher incidence in women. Glioblastomas represented 26.1% of cases and were more common in men (sex ratio M/F = 1.5), with an ASR of 3.3/100,000 person-years versus 1.8/100,000 person-years in women, and the median net survival was 11.5 months. Age-standardized net survival was 49.6% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 43.6-55.6) at 1 year and 6.5% (95% CI: 2.0-9.9) at 5 years.

This first comprehensive population-based study of CNS tumors in Reunion Island reveals incidence and survival patterns comparable to those in mainland France, underscoring the value of cancer registries in diverse settings for informing healthcare planning and research.