Abstract According to GLOBOCAN 2022, brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors rank 19th globally in terms of incidence, with an estimated 321,476 new cases reported worldwide. In India, these tumors rank 14th, with a prevalence of approximately 7.5 per 100,000 population. Brain and CNS tumors are associated with high mortality rates and impose a significant economic burden on both patients and society. The overall 5-year survival rate for brain tumors is approximately 36%, with a particularly poor prognosis for glioblastoma patients and the elderly. To retrospectively evaluate the epidemiology, histopathological patterns, treatment approaches, and survival outcomes of brain tumor patients treated at a single tertiary care center in the northernmost region of India. We reviewed all cases of brain tumors registered at our hospital between 2014 and 2021. Data were collected on patient age, sex, tumor site, histopathology, geographical distribution, and treatment received. Tumors were classified according to the World Health Organization 2016 criteria, as this was the prevailing classification during the study period (2016–2021). Out of a total of 972 patients studied, males (610, 62.6%) outnumbered females (362, 37.2%) with a male:female ratio of 1.68:1. The frequency of brain tumors was found to be highest in the age group of 35 to 51 years, i.e., 330 (33.9%), and lowest in the age group of 69 to 85 years (44, 4.5%). The mean age was 40.56 years (range: 1–85 years). In total, 841 (86.52%) were adults, while 132 (13.58%) were pediatric patients. The overall survival at 5 and 10 years in our cohort was 32 and 12%, respectively. Most of the brain tumors are more common in males then in females. The most common histology in our population was Grade 4 glioma, followed by astrocytoma in adults, while in the pediatric group, it was Grade 4 glioma, followed by medulloblastoma. Our survival outcomes are similar to the rest of the world.
Najmi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.