Pediatric Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma: A National Database Inquiry on Current Treatment Approaches in the United States

Abstract

Background: Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXAs) account for <1% of primary brain tumors, occurring predominantly in children and young adults. Surgical resection serves as the primary treatment for PXAs, while radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy protocols remain poorly defined. Aim: This study aims to determine current care patterns utilized for pediatric patients (≤ 18 years) diagnosed with PXAs and their effect on overall survival. Methods: The United States National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried between 2004 and 2015 for pediatric patients (≤18 years) diagnosed with PXAs. Results: From the 224 qualifying patients, most patients proceeded with surgery only (78.1%), while 11.6% of patients received both adjuvant RT and chemotherapy. In the 2010-2015 cohort, patients with subtotal resection were associated with poorer prognosis than those with gross-total resection (hazard ratio = 17.44, 95% confidence interval = 2.10-144.90, p