Developing a nomogram based on SEER database for predicting prognosis in choroid plexus tumors.

Choroid plexus tumors (CPT) are rare and highly vascularized neoplasms that have three histologically confirmed diagnoses, including choroid plexus papilloma, atypical choroid plexus papilloma, and choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC). This study aimed to determine the epidemiology and survival of patients with CPTs and develop a nomogram to quantify the prognosis of the patients with CPT. Data of 808 patients who were diagnosed as CPT between 2000 and 2020 was obtained from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database. Descriptive analysis was used to assess the distribution and tumor-related characteristics of the patients with CPT. Independent prognostic factors for patients with CPT were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The nomogram was established and evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA), calibration curves. The independent prognostic factors for patients with CPT are age, tumor size, surgery, chemotherapy, tumor number, pathologies, and race. For the prognostic nomogram, the area under the curve (AUC) of 60-, 120-, and 180-months were 0.855, 0.869 and 0.857 in the training set and 0.836, 0.864 and 0.922 in the test set. The DCA and calibration curve indicated the good performance of the nomogram. Patients with CPTs can be diagnosed at any age. Among the three histopathological tumors, patients with CPC had the worst prognosis. The nomogram was established to predict the prognosis of patients with CPT, which had satisfactory accuracy, and clinical utility may benefit for clinical decision-making.

Intracranial Choroid Plexus Carcinomas: Report of 11 Cases from a Single Institution.

BACKGROUND: Choroid plexus carcinoma is a central nervous system tumor pathologically corresponding to World Health Organization grade III. Choroid plexus carcinoma mainly affects pediatric patients with a poor prognosis. Due to its rarity, standardized treatment has not yet been outlined. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 11 patients with histopathologically diagnosed choroid plexus carcinoma between January 2008 and December 2016. They were treated with surgical resection with or without adjuvant therapies. The clinical profiles and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 16.0 years (median, 7.0 years; range, 4 months to ∼59 years). Gross total resection was achieved in 9 cases, and subtotal resection in 2 cases. Seven patients received adjuvant radiotherapy, and 2 patients underwent chemotherapy. The mean overall survival was 34.8 months, and the mean progression-free survival was 24.5 months. During the follow-up period, 4 patients succumbed to central nervous system dissemination of choroid plexus carcinoma including 2 patients with malignant transformation from atypical choroid plexus papilloma to choroid plexus carcinoma and 1 patient treated with the combined chemotherapy protocol. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we described the clinicoradiologic characteristics of choroid plexus carcinomas. Surgical resection is the mainstream treatment. Due to the paucity of clinical evidence, the standard regimen of adjuvant therapies still needs further research.

Intraventricular choroid plexus tumors: clinical characteristics and impact of current management on survival.

INTRODUCTION: Choroid plexus tumors (CPTs) represent one of the most common intraventricular tumors. Although most are benign, they often reach considerable sizes before clinical manifestation, challenging their surgical management. We aim to describe the clinical characteristics and the impact of current management on the survival of patients harboring intraventricular CPT. METHODS: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried to identify biopsy-proven intraventricular CPT patients (2004-2015). Demographic and patterns of care were described, the log-rank method was used to independently analyze survival according to age, WHO grade and extent of resection (EOR). Multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the impact of prognostic factors on overall survival (OS). RESULTS: A total of 439 CPT patients with known WHO grade were included. WHO grade I tumors were more frequent in adults, while WHO grade III tumors were more common in pediatric population. Most CPTs were benign, with a median tumor size of 3-4 cm. Mean tumor size in pediatric population was greater than in adult population (4.39 cm vs. 2.7 cm; p < 0.01). Frequency was similar between males and females (51.7% vs. 48.3%; p > 0.0.5). Five- and ten-year OS among all patients was 87% and 84%, respectively. EOR was not associated with survival for any WHO grade. On multivariable analysis, only patient age (p = 0.022), WHO grade (p = 0.003) and medical comorbidity scores (p = 0.002) were independently associated with OS after diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Patients with CPTs present at different stages of life, with sizable tumor burden and distinct WHO grade prevalence. Considering their favorable survival, efforts to improve tumor control should be meticulously weighed against the long-term risk associated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastases to the Choroid Plexus.

OBJECTIVE: Intraventricular metastatic brain tumors account for a small, but challenging, fraction of metastatic brain tumors (0.9%-4.5%). Metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) account for a large portion of these intraventricular tumors. Although patient outcomes have been assumed to be poor, these have not been reported in a modern series with a multimodality treatment paradigm of radiotherapy (RT), resection, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. We have presented the first case series of patients with intraventricular metastatic tumors from RCC. METHODS: We performed a single-institution retrospective review of patients with intraventricular RCC metastases treated from January 2003 to January 2019. Volumetric analysis was used to delineate the tumor size and the Kaplan-Meier method to evaluate the survival data. RESULTS: A total of 22 intraventricular RCC metastases were identified in 19 patients with 61.3 patient-years of follow-up. The median patient age was 64 years, and the median tumor volume was 2.2 cm3. Overall, 19 metastases had been treated initially with RT. Of these, 16 had received stereotactic body RT and 3 had received whole brain RT. Three tumors were surgically excised and had received adjuvant stereotactic body RT in the upfront setting. Although 5 patients had presented with obstructive hydrocephalus, none had required CSF diversion. After treatment, 5 metastases had progressed, resulting in 1- and 3-year progression-free survival rates of 81.6% and 68%, respectively. The median overall survival was 2.8 years, with 1- and 5-year overall survival rates of 76.7% and 28.3%, respectively. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the relatively limited overall survival for this population with metastatic cancer, comparable to contemporary parenchymal brain metastasis cohorts, reasonable local central nervous system control was achieved in most patients using a paradigm of focal RT and resection, where indicated. Finally, CSF diversion was not required even in patients presenting with hydrocephalus.

DNA methylation signature is prognostic of choroid plexus tumor aggressiveness.

BACKGROUND: Histological grading of choroid plexus tumors (CPTs) remains the best prognostic tool to distinguish between aggressive choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) and the more benign choroid plexus papilloma (CPP) or atypical choroid plexus papilloma (aCPP); however, these distinctions can be challenging. Standard treatment of CPC is very aggressive and often leads to severe damage to the young child's brain. Therefore, it is crucial to distinguish between CPC and less aggressive entities (CPP or aCPP) to avoid unnecessary exposure of the young patient to neurotoxic therapy. To better stratify CPTs, we utilized DNA methylation (DNAm) to identify prognostic epigenetic biomarkers for CPCs. METHODS: We obtained DNA methylation profiles of 34 CPTs using the HumanMethylation450 BeadChip from Illumina, and the data was analyzed using the Illumina Genome Studio analysis software. Validation of differentially methylated CpG sites chosen as biomarkers was performed using pyrosequencing analysis on additional 22 CPTs. Sensitivity testing of the CPC DNAm signature was performed on a replication cohort of 61 CPT tumors obtained from Neuropathology, University Hospital Münster, Germany. RESULTS: Generated genome-wide DNAm profiles of CPTs showed significant differences in DNAm between CPCs and the CPPs or aCPPs. The prediction of clinical outcome could be improved by combining the DNAm profile with the mutational status of TP53. CPCs with homozygous TP53 mutations clustered as a group separate from those carrying a heterozygous TP53 mutation or CPCs with wild type TP53 (TP53-wt) and showed the worst survival outcome. Specific DNAm signatures for CPCs revealed AK1, PER2, and PLSCR4 as potential biomarkers for CPC that can be used to improve molecular stratification for diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that combining specific DNAm signature for CPCs with histological approaches better differentiate aggressive tumors from those that are not life threatening. These findings have important implications for future prognostic risk prediction in clinical disease management.

Perinatal (fetal and neonatal) choroid plexus tumors: a review.

INTRODUCTION: The object of this review is to describe the choroid plexus tumors (CPTs) occurring in the fetus and neonate with regard to clinical presentation, location, pathology, treatment, and outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case histories and clinical outcomes were reviewed from 93 cases of fetal and neonatal tumors obtained from the literature and our own institutional experience from 1980 to 2016. RESULTS: Choroid plexus papilloma (CPP) is the most common tumor followed by choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) and atypical choroid plexus papilloma (ACPP). Hydrocephalus and macrocephaly are the presenting features for all three tumors. The lateral ventricles are the main site of tumor origin followed by the third and fourth ventricles, respectively. CPTs of the fetus are detected most often near the end of the third trimester of pregnancy by fetal ultrasound. The extent of surgical resection plays an important role in the treatment and outcome. In spite of excellent survival, which is especially true in the case of CPP, surgical resection may carry significant risks in an immature baby. Given the neonatal low blood volume and increased vascularity of the tumors, there is potential risk for hemorrhage. Although advances in neurosurgical techniques have led to a greater degree of complete surgical resections, survival for the perinatal CPC group remains low even with multimodality therapies. CONCLUSION: Perinatal CPTs have variable overall survivals depending on degree of surgical resection and tumor biology. An increased understanding of the molecular features of these tumors may lead to improved therapies and ultimately survival.

Clinical Features and Prognostic Risk Factors of Choroid Plexus Tumors in Children.

BACKGROUND: Decision-making concerning the treatment of choroid plexus tumor (CPT) in pediatric patients remains a topic of considerable debate. The aim of this work was to describe clinical features and prognostic risk factors of CPT in the pediatric population and to provide theoretical opinions regarding clinical decisions for CPT. METHODS: The data of 96 patients with CPT and younger than 14 years were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics such as pathological type of CPTs, rate and severity of hydrocephalus, treatment and outcome, and recurrence were investigated. For categorical variables, the Pearson's Chi-square test was performed. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for comparisons between nonnormally distributed parameters. Log-rank test was used for progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: The study included 70 choroid plexus papilloma (CPP) cases, 17 atypical choroid plexus papilloma (aCPP) cases, and 9 choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) cases. Compared with patients with CPP or aCPP, patients with CPC had a shorter disease course (median: CPP, 4 months; aCPP, 2 months; CPC, 1 month; H: 23.5, P < 0.001), higher rate of acute hydrocephalus (CPP, 27.1%; aCPP, 52.9%; CPC, 77.8%; χ2 = 10.9, P < 0.05), and lower incidence of cure rate (CPP, 85.7%; aCPP, 70.5%; CPC, 33.3%; χ2 = 13.5, P < 0.05). The severity of hydrocephalus with tumor in the lateral or third ventricle was significantly higher than that with tumors in the fourth ventricle (severe hydrocephalus: lateral ventricle, 51.7%; third ventricle, 47.0%; fourth ventricle, 11.1%; χ2 = 26.0, P < 0.001). Patients with gross total surgical resection had no better PFS than those with partial resection because of the use of adjuvant therapy in the latter (χ2 = 4.0, P > 0.05). Patients with CPC experienced shorter time for recurrence than those with CPP or aCPP (χ2 = 40.1, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that CPP in the fourth ventricle could trigger serious clinical symptoms at an early stage, requiring early intervention. Adjuvant treatment might be necessary for patients with partially resected CPP, aCPP, and CPC to achieve a favorable outcome.

Effect of Surgery, Adjuvant Therapy, and Other Prognostic Factors on Choroid Plexus Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Individual Patient Data Analysis.

PURPOSE: The optimal treatment of patients with choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient information to determine the effect of surgery, adjuvant therapy, and other prognostic factors for CPC. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A comprehensive search of the PubMed and Google Scholar databases was performed using the following MeSH terms to find all possible reports on CPC: choroid plexus tumor; choroid plexus carcinoma; choroid plexus carcinoma AND treatment; and choroid plexus carcinoma AND survival. We performed an individual patient data analysis to assess the strength of the potential associations between different variables and the outcomes for patients with CPC. RESULTS: Data from 284 patients were retrieved from 89 studies. The median patient age was 2 years, with 26% patients diagnosed in the first year of their life. Of these 284 patients, 52.8% had undergone gross total resection (GTR) or near total resection. The median follow-up period for the entire cohort was 10.8 months. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 13 months (95% confidence interval 8.14-17.8). PFS was better for patients >aged 5 years and those who had undergone GTR. The median overall survival (OS) was 29 months (95% confidence interval 16.3-41.7). OS was better for patients aged >5 years, those who had undergone GTR, those who had received adjuvant treatment, and those with a parenchymal tumor site. CONCLUSIONS: CPC is an aggressive tumor, with a median PFS of 13 months and median OS of 29 months. All patients should undergo maximal safe resection, because GTR is associated with improved survival. The use of adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy were also associated with improved outcomes.

Choroid plexus carcinoma in children: the Head Start experience.

BACKGROUND: Choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) is a rare aggressive intracranial neoplasm with a predilection for young children and a historically poor outcome. Currently, no defined optimal therapeutic strategy exists. The Head Start (HS) regimens have included irradiation-avoiding strategies in young children with malignant brain tumors using high dose chemotherapy to improve survival and minimize neurocognitive sequelae. PROCEDURE: Three sequential HS studies have been conducted from 1991 to 2009. HS treatment strategy has consisted of maximal surgical resection followed by five cycles of intensive induction followed by consolidation myeloablative chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell rescue (AuHCR). Irradiation was given following recovery from consolidation based on the patient's age and evidence of residual disease. RESULTS: Twelve children with CPC (median age of 19.5 months) have been treated with HS regimens. Ten patients had >95% resection. Three patients had disseminated disease at diagnosis. Ten patients completed consolidation of whom five are alive, irradiation and disease free at 29, 43, 61, 66 and 89 months from diagnosis. Seven patients experienced tumor recurrence/progression at a median time of 13 months (range 2-43 months). Five patients received irradiation, one for residual disease and four upon progression or recurrence, of whom one is alive at 61 months. The 3- and 5-year progression-free survivals are 58% and 38% and overall survivals 83% and 62% respectively. Late deaths from disease beyond 5 years were also noted. CONCLUSION: Head Start strategies may produce long-term remission in young children with newly diagnosed CPC with avoidance of cranial irradiation.

Effects of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation on overall survival in children with choroid plexus carcinoma.

Choroid plexus carcinoma (CPCs) is a rare, malignant, primary brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Currently, there is no consensus on the use of adjuvant therapy, and few large-scale studies focus exclusively on the pediatric population. We performed a comprehensive systematic review of pediatric CPCs to determine the effects of various adjuvant therapy modalities on overall survival (OS). A literature search was performed to identify studies reporting children with CPC who underwent surgical resection. Only patients who had clearly received adjuvant therapy, or were described as not selected for adjuvant therapy were analyzed in our comparison groups. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression survival analyses were performed to determine the effects of different types of adjuvant therapies on OS. A total of 135 children (age ≤ 18 years) with CPC who had known adjuvant therapy status and OS were identified from 53 articles. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that while adjuvant therapy overall improved OS (p = 0.001), different modes of adjuvant therapies had varying effects on OS (p = 0.034). Specifically, combined chemo-radiotherapy as well as chemotherapy alone improved OS (p = 0.001), but radiation did not (p = 0.129). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard model adjusting for confounding factors showed that combined therapy was associated with better OS compared to chemotherapy alone (HR: 0.291, p = 0.027). Both chemotherapy alone and combined chemo-radiation improved OS independent of age, gender, tumor location and extent of resection, while radiation alone did not.

Clinical outcome of pediatric choroid plexus tumors: retrospective analysis from a single institute.

BACKGROUND: Choroid plexus tumor is a rare brain tumor with variable clinical features according to the histological grade. We reviewed the treatment outcome of 23 children, focusing on the biological behavior of the atypical choroid plexus papilloma (ACPP) and the current therapeutic strategy in choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC). METHODS: The demographics, clinical features, surgical treatments, adjuvant therapies, and survival were reviewed. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 18 months--55 months for choroid plexus papilloma (CPP), 8 months for ACPP, and 15 months for CPC. Gross total resections were achieved in seven of eight patients with CPP, seven of seven with ACPP, and three of eight with CPC. Seven patients with CPC received chemotherapy. Four patients received high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (aPBSCT), and three among them have survived. Four patients with CPC received radiotherapy. One CPP patient and one CPC patient underwent radiosurgery. All CPP and ACPP patients have survived. The overall survival rate of the CPC patients was 62.5% in the first year and 42.9% in the second year. The progression-free survival rate of the CPC patients was 50% in the first year and 0% in the second year. Seven patients underwent permanent cerebrospinal fluid diversion surgery because of hydrocephalus or subdural effusion. CONCLUSION: CPP and ACPP were surgically curable. Multi-modal treatments are necessary in the management of CPC with poor prognosis. HDCT and aPBSCT may be important to treat infants for whom radiotherapy is limited. Hydrocephalus and subdural effusion should be resolved with appropriate management.

Gross total resection improves overall survival in children with choroid plexus carcinoma.

Choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) is a rare, malignant, primary brain tumor with a poor prognosis. While previous reports have shown benefits of aggressive surgery, very few large-scale studies have focused exclusively on the pediatric population, for whom the risks of aggressive surgery must be weighed carefully against the benefits. We performed a comprehensive systematic review of pediatric CPCs to test the effects of gross total resection (GTR) on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). A Pubmed search was performed to identify children with CPC who underwent surgical resection. Only disaggregated clinical cases in which extent of resection was confirmed by CT or MRI were included for analysis. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression survival analyses were performed to determine the effects of extent of resection on OS and PFS. Disaggregated clinical data from a total of 102 pediatric CPC patients (age ≤18 years) with known extent of resection and overall survival were analyzed. GTR was significantly associated with better OS by Kaplan-Meier analysis (logrank p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusting for age, gender, tumor location (supratentorial vs. infratentorial), and type of adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, radiation, and combined therapy), showed that GTR independently increased OS (p = 0.006). While GTR also improved PFS on Kaplan-Meier analysis (p = 0.027), the effect did not meet our criteria for significance in our multivariate Cox model (p = 0.120). GTR improved OS of pediatric CPC and is recommended if it can be safely performed.

Choroid plexus tumors in children: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Choroid plexus tumors are rare neoplasms that primarily occur in children. The use of the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) database allows for the analysis of the relationship between prognostic factors and survival. METHODS: We analyzed the SEER database to select pediatric patients (<18 years old) with histologically confirmed diagnoses of choroid plexus papillomas (CPP; WHO Grade 0), atypical CPP (WHO Grade I) and choroid plexus carcinomas (CPC; WHO grade III). In univariate and multivariate analysis, we analyzed the relationship between demographic (age, gender, race, date of diagnosis) and treatment factors (extent of surgical resection, use of adjuvant radiation) on survival. RESULTS: Overall, 168 pediatric subjects with choroid plexus tumors were identified as follows: 75 cases of CPP, 12 cases of atypical CPP and 81 cases of CPC. The median follow-up time was 3.5 years for CPP and 7.7 years for CPC. The median age at diagnosis was 4 years for CPP (10-90th percentile 0-16 years) and 1 year for CPC (10-90th percentile 0-10 years). In univariate regression analysis, CPC histology (ß = -3.2, 95% confidence interval, CI -4.8 to -1.5, p < 0.001) was significantly associated with younger age at diagnosis in comparison to CPP. The mean tumor size was 3.7 cm for CPP and 6.0 cm for CPC (p < 0.001). A higher-grade tumor was associated with significantly increased mortality (hazard ratio, HR = 28.90, 95% CI 3.94-211.83, p = 0.001). Overall survival at 5 years was 98.7% for CPP and 58.5% for CPC (p < 0.001). Among those patients with CPC, gross total resection (GTR) was associated with a significantly lower mortality (HR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.07-0.66, p = 0.007). Overall survival at 5 years was 70.9% after GTR, significantly better than 35.9% after subtotal resection (p = 0.012) and 30% after no surgery (p = 0.003). Radiation treatment was not found to confer a survival benefit in CPC. No demographic characteristics (age, sex, race, date of diagnosis) were significantly associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of a pediatric cohort of choroid plexus tumors in children in the SEER database shows that tumor grade is predictive of survival. In cases of CPC, the extent of surgical resection, especially GTR, is significantly associated with increased survival. Radiation did not confer survival benefit.

Choroid plexus tumors; management, outcome, and association with the Li-Fraumeni syndrome: the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) experience, 1991-2010.

BACKGROUND: Choroid plexus tumors (CPT) are rare, and predominate in early childhood. An association with the Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) has been reported, but the biological and clinical implications of this association remain poorly defined. We have investigated the clinical features and overall survival of all CPT patients treated at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) over a 20-year period, with particular attention to the association of CPT with LFS. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of the course of therapy and clinical outcome was undertaken on the 42 patients diagnosed with and treated for CPT at CHLA from January 1991 to December 2010. Any association with multiple primary tumors and family histories consistent with LFS was investigated in all patients. RESULTS: Six of the 42 patients (16.7%), demonstrated either phenotypic and/or genotypic characteristics consistent with LFS, with either a distinct family history of cancer, a synchronous diagnosis of a different type of cancer, or the subsequent development of metachronous cancers. Of 11 patients with choroid plexus carcinoma tested for TP53 germline mutations, four (36.4%) were positive. A single patient with a choroid plexus papilloma had phenotypic characteristics of LFS but tested negative for TP53. CONCLUSIONS: Children with CPC appear to have a high frequency of TP53 germline mutations in association with LFS. This raises the question whether all children with CPC should be tested for TP53 germline mutations in order to institute screening to enhance early detection and treatment of subsequent cancers.

Infant brain tumors: incidence, survival, and the role of radiation based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Data.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of infant brain tumors and survival outcomes by disease and treatment variables. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program November 2008 submission database provided age-adjusted incidence rates and individual case information for primary brain tumors diagnosed between 1973 and 2006 in infants less than 12 months of age. RESULTS: Between 1973 and 1986, the incidence of infant brain tumors increased from 16 to 40 cases per million (CPM), and from 1986 to 2006, the annual incidence rate averaged 35 CPM. Leading histologies by annual incidence in CPM were gliomas (13.8), medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (6.6), and ependymomas (3.6). The annual incidence was higher in whites than in blacks (35.0 vs. 21.3 CPM). Infants with low-grade gliomas had the highest observed survival, and those with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) or primary rhabdoid tumors of the brain had the lowest. Between 1979 and 1993, the annual rate of cases treated with radiation within the first 4 months from diagnosis declined from 20.5 CPM to <2 CPM. For infants with medulloblastoma, desmoplastic histology and treatment with both surgery and upfront radiation were associated with improved survival, but on multivariate regression, only combined surgery and radiation remained associated with improved survival, with a hazard ratio for death of 0.17 compared with surgery alone (p = 0.005). For ATRTs, those treated with surgery and upfront radiation had a 12-month survival of 100% compared with 24.4% for those treated with surgery alone (p = 0.016). For ependymomas survival was higher in patients treated in more recent decades (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The incidence of infant brain tumors has been stable since 1986. Survival outcomes varied markedly by histology. For infants with medulloblastoma and ATRTs, improved survival was observed in patients treated with both surgery and early radiation compared with those treated with surgery alone.

Stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of brain metastases to the choroid plexus.

PURPOSE: Choroid plexus metastases (CPM) are uncommon lesions. Consequently, optimal management of CPM is uncertain. We summarize our experience with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of CPM. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Sixteen consecutive patients with presumed CPM treated with SRS between 1997 and 2007 were examined. Twelve were men with a median age at diagnosis of CPM of 61.9 ± 9.9 years; 14 had metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC). All patients had controlled primary disease at the time of treatment for CPM. Four patients with RCC and 1 with non-small-cell lung cancer had undergone whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) previously and 2 had received SRS to other brain metastases. The disease-free interval from the primary diagnosis to CPM diagnosis averaged 39.3 ± 46.2 months (range, 1.0-156.3). Five patients were asymptomatic; of the remaining 11, none had symptoms related to CPM. All presented with a single CPM. RESULTS: Average maximum diameter of the CPMs was 2.0 ± 1.0 cm (range, 0.9-4.1 cm); mean volume was 2.4 ± 2.6 cm(3) (range, 0.2-9.3). Median SRS dose was 24 Gy to the 53% isodose line (range, 14-24 Gy). Survival after SRS to the CPM was 25.3 ± 23.4 months (range, 3.2-101.6). Patients in Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) class I (n = 10) had improved survival compared to those in class II (n = 6), as did those with better GPA scores. There were no local failures. After SRS, 1 patient underwent WBRT, 3 patients had one, and another had two subsequent SRS treatments to other brain lesions. Of the 14 patients who have died, 11 succumbed to systemic disease progression, 2 to progressive, multifocal central nervous system disease, and 1 to systemic disease with concurrent, stable central nervous system disease. There were no complications related to SRS. CONCLUSIONS: Most CPMs are associated with RCC. SRS represents a safe and viable treatment option as primary modality for these metastases, with excellent outcomes.

Use of ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide chemotherapy in choroid plexus carcinoma.

OBJECT: Choroid plexus carcinomas (CPCs) are rare pediatric tumors with a generally poor prognosis. Although the role of surgery is well recognized, the role of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy remains unclear. In this paper, the authors' goal was to assess the role of second-look surgery and neoadjuvant ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide (ICE) chemotherapy in the management of CPC and to study neurocognitive outcome. METHODS: The authors performed an institutional retrospective review of patients in whom CPC was diagnosed between 1985 and 2006 at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Fourteen patients (7 boys and 7 girls) were included. The median age at diagnosis was 18.6 months (range 1.1-65.3 months). Four patients had evidence of metastatic disease at diagnosis. Two of the 14 patients underwent gross-total resection during initial surgery; 12 of the patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 10 of whom underwent second surgery. In total, of 12 patients who received chemotherapy with a curative intent, 11 underwent a greater than 95% resection. Neoadjuvant ICE chemotherapy was given prior to second surgery (median 4 cycles, range 2-5 cycles) and was continued after second resection for a median total of 7 cycles (range 4-16 cycles). RESULTS: No tumor progression was observed during chemotherapy prior to second surgery. Five patients subsequently experienced tumor progression/relapse. At a median follow-up of 6.9 years (range 1.9-18.5 years), 8 patients are alive. None of the survivors received radiation therapy. However, 6 of 8 display significant neurocognitive and/or sensorial deficit. CONCLUSIONS: In this experience, second surgery following neoadjuvant ICE chemotherapy led to a high rate of complete or near-complete resection. Chemotherapy appears to facilitate second-look surgery, in particular through a reduction of intraoperative blood loss. Despite radiation avoidance, the majority of survivors experienced significant neurocognitive impairment.

TP53 alterations determine clinical subgroups and survival of patients with choroid plexus tumors.

PURPOSE Choroid plexus carcinomas are pediatric tumors with poor survival rates and a strong, but poorly understood, association with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS). Currently, with lack of biologic predictors, most children are treated with aggressive chemoradiation protocols. PATIENTS AND METHODS We established a multi-institutional tissue and clinical database, which enabled the analysis of specific alterations of the TP53 tumor suppressor and its modifiers in choroid plexus tumors (CPTs). We conducted high-resolution copy-number analysis to correlate these genetic parameters with family history and outcome. Results We studied 64 patients with CPTs. All individuals with germline TP53 mutations fulfilled LFS criteria, whereas all patients not meeting these criteria harbored wild-type TP53 (P < .001). TP53 mutations were found in 50% of choroid plexus carcinomas (CPCs). Additionally, two sequence variants known to confer TP53 dysfunction, TP53 codon72 and MDM2 SNP309, coexisted in the majority of TP53 wild-type CPCs (92%) and not in TP53 mutated CPC (P = .04), which suggests a complementary mechanism of TP53 dysfunction in the absence of a TP53 mutation. High-resolution single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis revealed extremely high total structural variation (TSV) in TP53-mutated CPC tumor genomes compared with TP53 wild-type tumors and choroid plexus papillomas (CPPs; P = .006 and .004, respectively). Moreover, high TSV was associated with significant risk of progression (P < .001). Five-year survival rates for patients with TP53-immunopositive and -immunonegative CPCs were 0% and 82 (+/- 9%), respectively (P < .001). Furthermore, 14 of 16 patients with TP53 wild-type CPCs are alive without having received radiation therapy. CONCLUSION Patients with CPC who have low tumor TSV and absence of TP53 dysfunction have a favorable prognosis and can be successfully treated without radiation therapy.

Clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of choroid plexus tumors: single-institution experience in Mexican population.

In recent years, few studies have specifically focused on only histological features in choroid plexus tumors. We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic and histological features in 37 patients with choroid plexus tumors and correlated these with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), p53, p21, and Rb labeling indexes, with special attention to tumor recurrence/regrowth. The study included 24 choroid plexus papillomas (CPPs), 4 atypical choroid plexus papillomas (ACPPs), and 9 choroid plexus carcinomas (CPCs). Patient age ranged from 15 to 70 years (mean 44 years). Most of the choroid plexus tumors were located in the IV ventricle. Recurrence was observed in 21 (52%) cases, 14 of which were CPP and 7 of which were CPC (P = 0.032). Histologic findings included major necrosis, fibrosis and psammoma bodies, amyloid deposits, inflammation, and thick vessels in recurrent tumors. The PCNA labeling index was 52.04 + or - 13.92 in CPPs, 76.50 + or - 17 in ACPPs, and 95.22 + or - 21.34 in CPCs (P = 0.009), and 67.43 + or - 28 in recurrent tumors. Similar values were found for p53, p21, and Rb. Furthermore, we observed that these presented more histological changes, adding, than nonrecurrent tumors, as well as a higher proliferation index of cell-cycle markers, and these were dependent predictor factors of survival. Recurrent tumors showed a different biological behavior than nonrecurrent tumors, but histological observations showed no mitotic features in order to consider them as grade II.

The impact of radiotherapy fields in the treatment of patients with choroid plexus carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To perform a comprehensive literature review and analysis of cases dealing with choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) to determine the optimal radiotherapy (RT) treatment field. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A PubMed search of English language articles from 1979 to 2008 was performed, yielding 33 articles with 56 patients who had available data regarding RT treatment field. The median age at diagnosis was 2.7 years (range, 1 month-53 years). Of 54 patients with data regarding type of surgery, 21 (38.9%) had complete resection. Chemotherapy was delivered to 27 (48%) as part of initial therapy. The RT treatment volume was the craniospinal axis in 38 (68%), whole brain in 9 (16%), and tumor/tumor bed in 9 (16%). Median follow-up for surviving patients was 40 months. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 59.5% and 37.2%, respectively. Complete resection (p = 0.035) and use of craniospinal irradiation (CSI; p = 0.025) were found to positively affect PFS. The 5-year PFS for patients who had CSI vs. whole brain and tumor/tumor bed RT were 44.2% and 15.3%. For the 19 patients who relapsed, 9 (47%) had a recurrence in the RT field, 6 (32%) had a recurrence outside the RT field, and 4 (21%) had a recurrence inside and outside the irradiated field. CONCLUSION: Patients with CPC who received CSI had better PFS compared with those receiving less than CSI. This study supports the use of CSI in the multimodality management of patients with CPC.