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Intramedullary spinal cord tumors: Patterns of care in Victoria from 1998–2000
Author(s) -
ROSENTHAL Mark A,
ASHLEY David M,
DRUMMOND Katharine,
DALLY Michael,
MURPHY Michael,
CHER Lawrence,
THURSFIELD Vicky,
GILES Graham G
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of clinical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1743-7563
pISSN - 1743-7555
DOI - 10.1111/j.1743-7563.2008.00151.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ependymoma , intramedullary rod , radiation therapy , retrospective cohort study , spinal cord , cohort , surgery , disease , cancer registry , chemotherapy , cancer , population , psychiatry , environmental health
Aim: This study describes the management of and outcomes for adult patients with newly diagnosed intramedullary spinal cord tumors during 1998–2000 in Victoria. Methods: The adult patients were identified in a retrospective cohort study conducted by surveying doctors involved in managing incident glioma cases identified from the population‐based Victorian Cancer Registry. Results: Sixteen patients were considered eligible for this review. Of these 15 (94%) had a histological diagnosis: an ependymoma was diagnosed in 13 patients (81%). A complete macroscopic resection was achieved in eight patients (50%). A variety of tumor types and grades were observed with surgery and radiotherapy the mainstays of therapy. One patient received chemotherapy (7%). One patient died from disease within six months of diagnosis. Of the remaining 15 patients, all were alive at 5 years and 10 (63%) remain disease free. Conclusion: This review documents characteristics of a rare condition and suggests that, overall, prognosis is excellent.