title: Clinical and survival covariates of eight classes of childhood supratentorial neuroglial tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the current study, the authors investigated clinical, surgical, and histologic characteristics (covariates) and their interactions in eight previously identified classes of childhood supratentorial neuroglial tumors. The classes resulted from 5 factor score profiles on 703 supratentorial neuroglial tumors in the Childhood Brain Tumor Consortium database.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Cox proportional models were used to identify class survival covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age was found to be a survival covariate only in Class 1, in which older age increased the 5-year survival rate 73% from the first year (0.49) to the tenth year (0.85). A greater amount of tumor removed improved survival in Classes 2 and 4 only. Rosenthal fibers improved survival in Class 2 and overrode the negative effects of high Proliferative factor scores and pleomorphic nuclei. Survival for Class 3 children with high Proliferative factor scores improved from 0.60 to 0.95 as the Spongy factor scores increased. Survival in Class 4 increased from 0.17 to 0.39 with total tumor removal. Irregular nuclei and glomeruloid capillaries improved survival in Class 5 patients. Class 6 survival improved with low cell density. Macrocysts in tumors in Classes 1 and 5 were found to improve survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a result of the current study, the authors conclude that survival covariates differ with tumor class and may modify prognosis considerably.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California School of Medicine, 90027, USA. FGILLES@hsc.usc.edu
authors.forename: Floyd H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Gilles
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leviton
authors.forename: C Jane
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tavaré
authors.forename: Lester
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Adelman
authors.forename: Lucy B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Rorke
authors.forename: Eugene L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Sobel
authors.forename: E Tessa
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Hedley-Whyte
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015173:Supratentorial Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate