Epidemiology of primary brain and central nervous system tumors in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this report is to provide accurate nationwide epidemiologic data on primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors in Korea. Despite its importance, there are no accurate statistics on primary CNS tumors in Korea. We analyzed primary CNS tumors diagnosed in 2005 from the nationwide registry.


METHODS
Data on primary CNS tumors diagnosed in 2005 were collected from the Korean Central Cancer Registry and the Korean Brain Tumor Society. Crude and age-standardized rates were calculated in terms of gender, age, and histological type. Tumors of uncertain histology were investigated individually at the corresponding hospitals and had their diagnoses confirmed.


RESULTS
A total of 5,692 patients diagnosed with primary CNS tumors in 2005 were included in this study. CNS tumors occurred in females more often than in males (female to male, 1.43 : 1). The most common tumor was meningioma (31.2%). Glioblastoma accounted for 30.7% of all gliomas, and 19.3% of all malignant primary CNS tumors. In children under 19 years of age, both germ cell tumor and embryonal/primitive/medulloblastoma were the most common tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
This article is the first nationwide primary CNS tumor epidemiology report in Korea. Data from this study should provide valuable information regarding the understanding of primary CNS tumors epidemiology in Korea.
Lee
Chang-Hyun
CH
Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jung
Kyu-Won
KW
Yoo
Heon
H
Park
Sohee
S
Lee
Seung Hoon
SH