Survival of patients with primary CNS tumours in Estonia

• Published in: European journal of cancer (1990) Vol. 37; no. 15; pp. 1895 - 1903
• Main Authors: Liigant, A, Kulla, A, Linnamägi, Ü, Asser, T, Kaasik, A.-E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Central Nervous System Neoplasms - mortality; Child; Child, Preschool; CNS tumours; Estonia; Estonia - epidemiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant; Karnofsky Performance Status; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neurology; Prognosis; Prognostic factors; Risk Factors; Sex Distribution; Survival; Survival Rate; Tumors of the nervous system. Phacomatoses; Eastern Europe; Europe; Estonia; CNS tumours; Survival; Prognostic factors; Estonia; Human; Prognosis; Central nervous system; Histological type; Tumor; Sanitary surveillance; Epidemiology; Age
• ISSN: 0959-8049; 1879-0852
• DOI: 10.1016/S0959-8049(01)00220-9

We studied a population-based survey that included 1417 patients with a primary central nervous system (CNS) tumour diagnosed in Estonia between 1986 and 1996. Survival rates at 1 and 5 years and median survival by histology and patient's age at diagnosis were estimated. Median survival time for all tumours was 33.2 months and 1- and 5-year survival rates were 59.3 and 46.0%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, younger age, better clinical condition (i.e. a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score of 60 and more) and tumour histology were all dependent prognostic factors for better survival. Risk of death was more than 8 times greater for glioblastoma (Risk Ratio (RR) 8.31) and approximately seven times greater for anaplastic astrocytoma (RR 7.22) and other gliomas (RR 5.74) compared with meningiomas. Comparing the first (1986–1989) and the third (1994–1996) time periods, statistically significant improvements in survival occurred for all tumours and astrocytomas. Declines in survival during the second period (1990–1993) were statistically significant for all the tumour groups, but the most striking decrease took place in patients with glioblastoma. Age-specific rates showed that the increase in survival was more evident for patients aged between 45 and 64 years.