title: Survival and prognostic factors in children with brain tumors: long-term follow-up single center study in Poland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Analysis of risk factors for survival in long-term follow-up of children treated at a single pediatric center in Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 623 children diagnosed with cancer between 1995-2005, 110 were treated for brain tumors and followed-up, with a mean survival of 11.4 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 5-year survival in the whole cohort was 60.9±4.7%, while 10-year survival was 58.2±4.7%. No relapse, progression or death occurred after six years from initial diagnosis. Survival was 48.1±9.6% for patients with medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors; 83.3±6.2% for low-grade astrocytoma; 56.6±16.6% for ependymoma, while 0% at 72 months for high-grade glioma. Patients with cerebellar tumors had a survival rate 69.0±7.1% at 10 years. Multivariate analysis showed that factors predicting poor outcome were: grade III-IV tumor, incomplete surgical resection, and complications after surgical resection, while diagnosis of low-grade glioma was the only factor predicting good outcome. Progression of the disease during therapy was an additional independent adverse risk factor for survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term survival was achieved by 58% of children with brain tumors. Advanced tumor stage, incomplete surgical resection, complications of surgical treatment, and progression of the disease during treatment predicted poor outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, ul. Curie-Sklodowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland. jstyczynski@cm.umk.pl.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pogorzala
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Styczynski
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wysocki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011044:Poland; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: Brain tumors; chemotherapy; children; radiotherapy; surgery; survival