The changing epidemiology of paediatric brain tumours: a review from the Hospital for Sick Children.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the changing epidemiology of paediatric brain tumours over the past three decades (1980-2008) in a single institution, SickKids, Toronto, Canada.


METHODS
We classified 1,866 surgical pathology cases of brain tumours in children under the age of 19 according to the World Health Organization 2007 consensus and analysed them by gender, histological tumour type, age distribution and decade.


RESULTS
Males showed a slightly higher predominance with 56.8% of cases overall. The main histological tumour types were low-grade (I/II) astrocytomas (26.4%), medulloblastoma (10.6%), anaplastic astrocytoma/glioblastoma multiforme (7.1%) and ependymoma (7.0%). Over three decades, an increasing proportion of certain tumour types, including pilocytic astrocytoma, atypical teratoma/rhabdoid tumours and neuronal/mixed neuronal-glial tumours was seen.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results are consistent with those published with similar methodologies in other countries. Any changes in the epidemiology of childhood central nervous system tumours over the past three decades may be attributed in part to changing classification systems, improved imaging technologies and developments in epilepsy surgery; however, continued surveillance remains important.
Kaderali
Zul
Z
Division of Neurosurgery, The Department of Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Suite 1503, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Lamberti-Pasculli
Maria
M
Rutka
James T
JT
D000367:Age Factors; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018193:Neoplasms, Complex and Mixed / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D009380:Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D018335:Rhabdoid Tumor / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013724:Teratoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors