FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH MENINGIOMA

Object. To explore factors affecting the survival rate in patients wit h meningiomas, the authors used the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), which includes tumors from approximately 1000 hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons tumor registry program. Methods. A nalysis included over 9000 cases diagnosed from 1985 to 1988 and 1990 to 1992. Survival estimates were computed and prognostic factors were identified using a proportional hazards model. The overall 5-year surv ival rate was 69% and it declined with patient age. This rate was 81% in patients aged 21 to 64 years and 56% for patients 65 years of age o r older. When patients were grouped by the histological type of their tumors, those with benign tumors had an overall 5-year survival rate o f 70%, whereas the overall 5-year survival rates in patients with atyp ical and malignant meningiomas were 75% and 55%, respectively. Prognos tic factors for benign tumors included age at diagnosis, tumor size, w hether treated surgically, hospital type, and radiation therapy; for m alignant tumors, the prognostic factors included: age at diagnosis, wh ether treated surgically, and radiation therapy. These factors were st atistically significant. The 5-year rate for recurrence of symptoms (r egardless of the method of treat ment) was 19.2% for those with benign tumors and 32.4% for those with malignant tumors. In patients whose b enign tumor had been completely removed, the 5-year rate of tumor recu rrence was 20.5%. Conclusions. Although not population-based, the NCDB has the potential for providing pertinent information regarding patie nt characteristics and methods of treatment for benign, as well as mal ignant, brain tumors.