Prognosis for children with supratentorial neuroglial tumors

Factor analysis of reliably identified histologic features in supratentorial glial tumors yielded five interpretable "factors": Spongy, Fibrillary, Proliferative, Jumbo, and Oligodendroglial. Quantitative scores can be calculated for each factor in a tumor to summarize its heterogeneity. The objective was to investigate whether factor scores are useful for prognostic purposes. The sample consisted of 703 children with supratentorial neuroglial tumors with factor scores for each of the five factors. Data were based on the presence or absence of 26 reliably identified histologic features, plus clinical and survival information. Multivariate proportional hazards models assessed each factor's contribution to survival for children who survived 1 month after operation (n = 609). Patient-specific clinical data were allowed in the models. Increased likelihood of survival is associated with greater tumor removal, later decade of surgery, and high Spongy and high Oligodendroglial factor scores. Decreased likelihood of survival is associated with high Proliferative factor scores and radiation and/or chemotherapy treatment. Gender, age, location, and Jumbo and Fibrillary factor scores did not provide additional prognostic information. Three reliable histologic features, nondefining for any histologic factor, added prognostic information: Rosenthal fibers and glomeruli are associated with improved prognosis; pleomorphic nuclei are associated with worse prognosis. A high Oligodendroglial factor score is associated with a worse prognosis for some classes of astrocytoma but with a better prognosis for oligodendroglial tumors. A high Proliferative score is associated with a worse prognosis for anaplastic astrocytomas, ependymomas, and unclassifiable tumors. A high Spongy score is associated with a better prognosis for anaplastic astrocytomas but with a worse prognosis for pilocytic astrocytomas. For giant cell astrocytomas, gangliogliomas, and miscellaneous tumors, none of the factors is prognostic. Spongy, Oligodendroglial, and Proliferative factors provide important prognostic information for children with supratentorial neuroglial tumors.