Epidemiology and Survival of Central Nervous System Tumors

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors encompass a heterogeneous group of neoplasms arising in the brain, spinal cord and meninges. Although comparatively rare, they contribute disproportionately to cancer-related morbidity and mortality due to their location and often limited therapeutic options. Incidence rates exhibit marked geographic and demographic variation, reflecting genetic predispositions, environmental exposures and disparities in diagnostic access. Tumor classification has evolved to integrate histopathology with molecular markers, enabling more precise prognostication. Survival outcomes remain dismal for high-grade malignancies such as glioblastoma, whereas non-malignant entities like meningioma show substantially better long-term control. Population-based cancer registries and surveillance systems are critical for monitoring temporal trends in incidence, mortality and survival, and for evaluating the impact of advances in imaging, surgical techniques, radiotherapy and systemic therapies. Emerging epidemiological evidence underscores the importance of age, sex, race and socioeconomic status in shaping outcomes, and highlights opportunities to tailor public health interventions and resource allocation on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Epidemiology and Survival of Central Nervous System Tumors publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology and survival of central nervous system tumors across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Age-standardized incidence rate: A measure of new cases per 100 000 population per year adjusted for age distribution to allow comparisons across populations.

Survival rate: The proportion of patients alive at a specified time after diagnosis, often expressed at one, five or ten years.

Histopathology: Microscopic examination of tissue to determine tumour type, grade and behaviour.

Glioblastoma: A highly aggressive, Grade IV malignant astrocytic tumour characterised by rapid growth and poor prognosis.

Meningioma: A typically benign tumour arising from the meninges, often associated with favourable long-term survival.

Kaplan–Meier model: A statistical method for estimating time-to-event outcomes, such as survival, accounting for censored data.

References

1. The Incidence and Prevalence of Primary Central Nervous System (CNS) Tumours in Canada (2010–2017), and the Survival of Patients Diagnosed with CNS Tumours (2008–2017). Current Oncology (2023).
2. Mortality trends in primary malignant brain and central nervous system tumors vary by histopathology, age, race, and sex. Journal of Neuro-Oncology (2023).
3. Changes in survival over time for primary brain and other CNS tumors in the United States, 2004–2017. Journal of Neuro-Oncology (2022).