Intracranial ependymomas in pediatric patients: patterns of care, disparities, and survival outcomes from the National Cancer Database

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to extract and analyze comprehensive data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to gain insights into the epidemiological prevalence, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes associated with intracranial ependymomas in pediatric patients. METHODS The authors examined data extracted from the NCDB spanning the years 2010 to 2017, with a specific emphasis on intracranial ependymomas in individuals aged 0–21 years. The study used logistic and Poisson regression, along with Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and Cox proportional hazards models, for analysis. RESULTS Among 908 included pediatric patients, 495 (54.5%) were male, and 702 (80.6%) were White. Kaplan-Meier analysis determined overall survival (OS) rates of 97.1% (95% CI 96%–98.2%) at 1 year postdiagnosis, 89% (95% CI 86.9%–91.1%) at 3 years, 82.9% (95% CI 80.3%–85.7%) at 5 years, and 74.5% (95% CI 69.8%–79.4%) at 10 years. Grade 3 tumors predicted a more than fourfold higher mortality hazard (p < 0.001; reference = grade 2). Infratentorial localization was also associated with a 1.7-fold increase in mortality hazard (p = 0.002; reference = supratentorial). Larger maximum tumor size (> 5 cm) correlated with a lower mortality hazard (HR 0.64, p = 0.011; reference ≤ 5 cm). The vast majority of patients (85.9%, n = 780) underwent resection. Uninsured patients had over fourfold higher prolonged length of stay (LOS) odds than those privately insured (OR 4.645, p = 0.007). Radiotherapy was received by 76.1% of patients, and the highest rates of radiotherapy occurred among children aged 5–12 years (p < 0.001). Only 25.6% received chemotherapy at any point during their treatment. Peak chemotherapy use emerged within ages 0–4 years, reaching 33.6% in this age group. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated chemotherapy was associated with significantly worse OS (p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS This comprehensive analysis of the NCDB provides valuable insights into the epidemiology, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes of intracranial ependymomas in pediatric patients. Higher tumor grade, infratentorial localization, and chemotherapy use was associated with worse OS, while larger tumor size correlated with lower mortality hazard. Disparities in care were identified, with uninsured patients experiencing prolonged LOS. These findings underscore the need for tailored treatment strategies based on patient and tumor characteristics and highlight the importance of addressing socioeconomic barriers to optimize outcomes for children with ependymomas.