Spectrum of primary intracranial tumors at a tertiary care neurological institute: A hospital-based brain tumor registry

BACKGROUND: Hospital-based cancer registries (HBCRs) provide information on the magnitude and distribution of cancers in a given hospital. Hospital-based brain tumor registry (HBBTR) data on primary intracranial tumors from a tertiary care neurological center is presented. This is compared with related national and international data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of patients operated for brain tumors at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India, between January 2010 and December 2014 was collected. Patients' clinical details and histopathological diagnosis were recorded. Data was analyzed and compared with that of Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, and the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS). RESULTS: A total of 4295 primary intracranial tumors in 1847 (43%) females and 2448 (57%) male patients were recorded. Pediatric and adult patients accounted for 16.2% and 83.8% of the cases, respectively. The maximum proportion of tumors was noted in the fourth decade. Among children, astrocytomas (25.1%), embryonal (20.6%), and ependymal tumors (14.8%) were the most frequently reported histology. In adults, meningiomas (23.2%), glioblastomas (15.5%), and nerve sheath tumors (12.7%) were common. Glioblastomas and all other tumors showed a male predilection whereas meningiomas presented more commonly in females. While our HBBTR followed similar trends as TMH data, marked difference was seen in the median age of some tumor subtypes when compared to CBTRUS. CONCLUSION: This HBBTR data gives a glimpse of the prevalence of varied primary intracranial tumors. Such data can be linked to other HBCRs and population-based cancer registries in India for improved research and policy-making decisions.