Classification, incidence and survival analyses of children with CNS tumours diagnosed in Sweden 1984-2005.
OBJECTIVE
Primary tumours in the central nervous system (CNS) are the second most common malignancy in childhood after leukaemia. Sweden has a high incidence and a high-survival rate in international comparative studies. This has raised the question about the type of tumours included in the Swedish Cancer registry. We therefore compared international data to the Swedish Childhood Cancer registry.


METHODS
Central nervous system tumours registered in the Swedish Childhood Cancer Registry were reclassified according to ICCC-3. Incidence and survival analyses were performed in the study population.


RESULTS
There were 1479 children (<15 years) in Sweden diagnosed with CNS tumours 1984-2005. The distribution of diagnoses was similar to that reported in other studies. The annual incidence was 4.2/100,000 children. The survival rates have not improved significantly between the two time periods before/after 1995 (70% vs. 74%; p = 0.10).


CONCLUSIONS
The mean annual incidence of children with CNS tumours was 4.2/100,000 and has not increased during the study period. Survival rate for brain tumours at 10 years follow-up was 72%.
Lannering
Birgitta
B
Department of Pediatrics, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Sandström
Per-Erik
PE
Holm
Stefan
S
Lundgren
Johan
J
Pfeifer
Susan
S
Samuelsson
Ulf
U
Strömberg
Bo
B
Gustafsson
Göran
G
D017677:Age Distribution; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D046688:Child Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology