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. 2017 May;132(3):507-512.
doi: 10.1007/s11060-017-2403-2. Epub 2017 Mar 11.

Incidence of CNS tumors in Appalachian children

Bin Huang  1   2 , Alice Luo  3 , Eric B Durbin  1   2   3 , Ellen Lycan  1   2 , Thomas Tucker  1   2 , Quan Chen  1   2 , Craig Horbinski  4 , John L Villano  5   6
Affiliations

Incidence of CNS tumors in Appalachian children

Bin Huang et al. J Neurooncol. 2017 May.

Abstract

Determine whether the risk of astrocytomas in Appalachian children is higher than the national average. We compared the incidence of pediatric brain tumors in Appalachia versus non-Appalachia regions, covering years 2000-2011. The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) collects population-based data from 55 cancer registries throughout U.S. and Canada. All invasive primary (i.e. non-metastatic tumors), with age at diagnosis 0-19 years old, were included. Nearly 27,000 and 2200 central nervous system (CNS) tumors from non-Appalachia and Appalachia, respectively comprise the cohorts. Age-adjusted incidence rates of each main brain tumor subtype were compared. The incidence rate of pediatric CNS tumors was 8% higher in Appalachia, 3.31 [95% CI 3.17-3.45] versus non-Appalachia, 3.06, [95% CI 3.02-3.09] for the years 2001-2011, all rates are per 100,000 population. Astrocytomas accounted for the majority of this difference, with the rate being 16% higher in Appalachian children, 1.77, [95% CI 1.67-1.87] versus non-Appalachian children, 1.52, [95% CI 1.50-1.55]. Among astrocytomas, World Health Organization (WHO) grade I astrocytomas were 41% higher in Appalachia, 0.63 [95% CI 0.56-0.70] versus non-Appalachia 0.44 [95% CI 0.43-0.46] for the years 2004-2011. This is the first study to demonstrate that Appalachian children are at greater risk of CNS neoplasms, and that much of this difference is in WHO grade I astrocytomas, 41% more common. The cause of this increased incidence is unknown and we discuss the importance of this in relation to genetic and environmental findings in Appalachia.

Keywords: Appalachia; Astrocytoma; Brain tumor; Pediatric; Pilocytic.

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