Infratentorial ependymomas: prognostic factors and outcome analysis in a multi-center retrospective series of 106 adult patients

Survival After Resection of Newly-Diagnosed Intracranial Grade II Ependymomas: An Initial Multicenter Analysis and the Logistics of Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors, including the use of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI), impacting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) after resections of newly diagnosed intracranial grade II ependymomas performed across 4 different institutions.

METHODS

Analyses of a multicenter mixed retrospective/prospective database assessed the impact of patient, treatment, and tumor characteristics on OS and PFS. iMRI workflow and logistics were also outlined.

RESULTS

Forty-three patients were identified (mean age 25.4 years, mean follow-up 52.8 months). The mean OS was 52.8 ± 44.7 months. Univariate analyses failed to identify prognostic factors associated with OS, likely due to relatively shorter follow-up time for this less aggressive glioma subtype. The mean PFS was 43.7 ± 39.8 months. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that gross-total resection was associated with prolonged PFS compared to both subtotal resection (STR) (P = 0.005) and near-total resection (P = 0.01). Infratentorial location was associated with improved PFS compared to supratentorial location (P = 0.04). Log-rank analyses of Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that increasing extent of resection (EOR) led to improved OS specifically for supratentorial tumors (P = 0.02) and improved PFS for all tumors (P < 0.001). Thirty cases (69.8%) utilized iMRI, of which 12 (27.9%) involved additional resection after iMRI. Of these, 8/12 (66.7%) resulted in gross-total resection, while 2/12 (16.7%) were near-total resection and 2/12 (16.7%) were subtotal resection. iMRI was not an independent prognosticator of PFS (P = 0.72).

CONCLUSIONS

Greater EOR and infratentorial location were associated with increased PFS for grade II ependymomas. Greater EOR was associated with longer OS only for supratentorial tumors. A longer follow-up is needed to establish prognostic factors for this cohort, including use of iMRI.

Do We Need Radiotherapy in Grade II Ependymoma?

Purpose/Objectives

The debate on whether radiotherapy (RT) is an essential part of primary treatment in patients with grade II ependymoma (G2E) is still ongoing, and this study aimed to evaluate its role.

Materials/Methods

A retrospective analysis of all the consecutive patients treated due to G2E in years 1985–2019 was performed. The group consisted of 116 patients with a small predominance of woman (55% vs. 45%) and the location of the tumor in the brain (58% vs. 42%). All had surgery as the primary treatment with 47% R0 resection. Radical RT was applied in 81 patients. In majority of cases (91%), patients received local irradiation.

Results

Median follow-up was 65 months, and during that time, 17 patients died. Five- and 10-year overall survival (OS) of the whole group was 87% and 83%. Radical surgery (R0 vs. R1/2) improved OS (p = 0.004), but the difference was observed only in patients with brain lesions (p = 0.01). Five- and 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 68% and 51%, respectively. Looking at the treatment of recurrence, those who received RT as a part of the treatment of the recurrent tumor had better OS (p = 0.048)—5- and 10-year OS of 85% and 78% vs. 66% and 57%. In the multivariate analysis, radical surgery (R0 vs. R1/2) and the use of RT in the primary treatment improved PFS (p = 0.006 and 0.007). Based on the location of the tumor, the positive influence of RT on PFS was observed only in the case of patients with brain tumors (p = 0.01). Also, comparing R1/2 surgery with R0 resection—the benefit of RT was only observed in R1/2 group (0.02).

Conclusions

RT in the case of patients with G2E is a valuable treatment of the recurrent disease. Patients with brain lesions after nonradical surgery might benefit from the local irradiation in terms of PFS.

Treatment strategy for multisegmental cervicomedullary ependymoma: illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Сervicomedullary ependymoma (CME) is a rare tumor of the central nervous system. The CME treatment strategy is insufficiently represented in the literature and is a complex task for neurosurgeons.

OBSERVATIONS

The authors describe an infrequent case of a large multisegmental CME that extended from the medulla oblongata to the cervical spinal cord at the level of the sixth cervical vertebra in a 21-year-old female. Neurological disorders presented with headache, dysphagia, hypophonia, and weakness in the limbs. Subtotal removal of the tumor was performed according to intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) results. A wait-and-see approach with patient follow-up was chosen.

LESSONS

Total tumor removal of the CME is the most important favorable prognostic factor. Subtotal resection can be considered if the borders of the tumor are unclear and the result of IONM is unfavorable. The role of postoperative radiation therapy in the case of subtotal removal of the tumor remains controversial.

Molecular Classification and Therapeutic Targets in Ependymoma

Ependymoma is a biologically diverse tumor wherein molecular classification has superseded traditional histological grading based on its superior ability to characterize behavior, prognosis, and possible targeted therapies. The current, updated molecular classification of ependymoma consists of ten distinct subgroups spread evenly among the spinal, infratentorial, and supratentorial compartments, each with its own distinct clinical and molecular characteristics. In this review, the history, histopathology, standard of care, prognosis, oncogenic drivers, and hypothesized molecular targets for all subgroups of ependymoma are explored. This review emphasizes that despite the varied behavior of the ependymoma subgroups, it remains clear that research must be performed to further elucidate molecular targets for these tumors. Although not all ependymoma subgroups are oncologically aggressive, development of targeted therapies is essential, particularly for cases where surgical resection is not an option without causing significant morbidity. The development of molecular therapies must rely on building upon our current understanding of ependymoma oncogenesis, as well as cultivating transfer of knowledge based on malignancies with similar genomic alterations.

The role of clinical factors and immunocheckpoint molecules in the prognosis of patients with supratentorial extraventricular ependymoma: a single-center retrospective study

PURPOSE

Supratentorial extraventricular ependymoma (SEE) is a rare subset of ependymomas located in the supratentorial parenchyma, and little is known regarding its management and prognosis. Our study aimed to reveal the prognostic factors in patients with SEE and the roles of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), Ki-67, and neural cell adhesion molecule L1 (L1CAM) in predicting these patients' outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied the clinical features and prognostic factors in 48 patients with SEE admitted to our center from April 2008 to October 2018. Tissue slides were constructed from patient samples, and PD-L1, PD-1, Ki-67, and L1CAM expression levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Patients with gross total resection (GTR) had better progression-free survival than patients with subtotal resection (STR). Moreover, the recurrence hazard ratios in patients with STR at 3, 5, and 10 years were 8.746, 6.866 and 3.962 times those of patients with GTR, respectively. PD-L1 positivity predicted worse progression-free survival, while the recurrence hazard ratios for patients with PD-L1 positivity at 3, 5, and 10 years were 10.445, 5.539, and 3.949 times those of patients with PD-L1 negativity, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that PD-L1 expression and GTR could independently predict outcomes in patients with SEE.

CONCLUSION

PD-L1 expression was an independent and more readily obtained predictor of outcomes, representing a simple and reliable biological prognostic factor for patients with SEE. Further studies are needed to explore PD-L1 inhibitor treatment for patients with ependymoma.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

No clinical trials were performed in the study.

Postoperative radiotherapy for WHO grade II-III intracranial ependymoma in adults: An intergroup collaborative study (KROG 18-06/KNOG 18-01)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To evaluate the impact of adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in adult WHO grade II-III intracranial ependymoma (IEPN).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 172 pathologically confirmed adult grade II-III IEPN patients from 12 institutions were eligible. Of them, 106 (61.6%) and 66 (38.4%) patients were grade II and III, respectively. For grade II and III IEPNs, 51 (48.1%) and 59 (89.4%) patients received PORT, respectively. The median dose to the primary tumor bed was 54.0 Gy and 59.4 Gy for grade II and III patients, respectively. The prognostic impact of sex, age, performance, WHO grade, location, size, surgical extent, and PORT on local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The median follow-up period for survivors was 88.1 months. The 5-/10-year LC, PFS, and OS rates were 64.8%/54.0%, 56.4%/44.8%, and 76.6%/71.0%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, adjuvant PORT significantly improved LC (P = 0.002), PFS (P = 0.002), and OS (P = 0.043). Older age (P < 0.001), WHO grade III (P < 0.001), larger tumor size (P = 0.004), and lesser surgical extent (P < 0.001) were also negative factors for OS. Adjuvant PORT also improved LC (P = 0.010), PFS (P = 0.007), and OS (P = 0.069) on multivariate analysis for grade II IEPNs.

CONCLUSION

This multicenter retrospective study supports the role of adjuvant PORT in terms of disease control and survival in adult grade II-III IEPNs. Prospective randomized trials focused on individualized treatment based on molecular subtypes is warranted.

Cerebellar lesions at a young age predict poorer long-term functional recovery

Early studies on long-term functional recovery after motor and premotor lesions showed better outcomes in younger monkeys than in older monkeys. This finding led to the widespread belief that brain injuries cause less impairment in children than adults. However, this view has limitations and a large body of evidence now indicates that cerebral damages can be more harmful when inflicted at young age, during critical periods of neural development. To date, this issue has been mainly investigated in the context of focal and diffuse cortical lesions. Much less is known about the potential influence of early cerebellar damages. Several studies exist in survivor of posterior fossa tumours. However, in these studies, critical confounders were not always considered and contradictory conclusions were provided. We studied the impact or early cerebellar damage on long-term functional recovery in three groups of 15 posterior fossa survivors, comparable with respect to their tumour characteristics (type, size and location) but operated at different ages: young (≤7 years), middle (>7 and ≤13 years) and older (>13 years). Daily (health-related quality of life scale, performance status scale), motor (International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale, Pegboard Purdue Test) and cognitive (full-scale intelligence quotient) functioning were assessed. A general linear model controlling for age at surgery, radiotherapy, preservation of deep cerebellar nuclei, tumour volume and delay between surgery and assessment was used to investigate significant variations in outcome measures. Early age at surgery, lesion of deep cerebellar nuclei and postoperative radiotherapy had a significant, independent negative influence on long-term recovery. Tumour volume and delay between surgery and assessment had no statistically detectable impact. The negative influence of early age at surgery was significant in all domains: daily functioning (health-related quality of life scale, performance status scale), motor functioning (International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale, Pegboard Purdue Test) and cognitive functioning (full-scale intelligence quotient). These results support the existence of an early critical period of development during which the cerebellar ‘learning machine’ is of critical importance. Although the extent to which the early deficits here observed can be reversed needs now to be established, our data plead for the implementation of prompt and intense rehabilitation interventions in children operated before 7 years of age.

Found at Old Age and Continuously Growing WHO Grade II Fourth Ventricle Ependymoma: A Case Report

A 74-year-old woman presented with a month-long nausea and vomiting, then she could not take a meal. She had found an asymptomatic 4th ventricular mass 6 year ago as a preoperative work-up for ovarian cancer. And during the yearly follow-up, the mass had grown continuously over 6 years, and caused symptoms in the seventh year. MRI revealed a large ovoid extra-axial mass in the fourth ventricle compressing adjacent medulla and cerebellum. Surgery achieved near total resection since the tumor tightly adhered to the brain stem of 4th ventricle floor. The histological diagnosis was ependymoma (WHO grade II). She transferred rehabilitation facility for mild gait disturbance, hoarseness and swallowing difficulty. Fourth ventricle ependymoma in the elderly is extremely rare and the growth rate has not been reported. Here, we present a rare care of 4th ventricle ependymoma found asymptomatic at elderly but continuously grow to cause local pressure symptoms.

The value of high-dose radiotherapy in intracranial ependymoma

BACKGROUND

We sought to evaluate the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy dose on overall survival (OS) after surgical resection for localized intracranial ependymoma.

PROCEDURE

The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried from 2004 to 2015 for patients of all ages with intracranial WHO grade II to III ependymoma treated with surgery and 4500 to 7000 cGy of adjuvant radiotherapy. Pearson χ² test and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess clinicodemographic factors and patterns of care. After propensity-score matching, OS was assessed with Kaplan-Meier analyses and doubly robust estimation with multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling.

RESULTS

Of the 1153 patients meeting criteria, 529 (46%) received ≤ 5400 cGy and 624 (54%) received > 5400 cGy. At a median follow-up of 54.5 months, an OS benefit was observed for > 5400 cGy in pediatric patients aged 2-18 years (hazard ratio [HR] 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28-0.99, P = 0.047). No OS difference was found between ≤ 5400 cGy and > 5400 cGy in pediatric patients aged < 2 years (P = 0.819) or in adults (P = 0.180). Increasing age, WHO grade III, subtotal resection, and receipt of chemotherapy portended worse OS. Age 2 to 18 years, WHO III grade, supratentorial location, and receipt of chemotherapy were associated with receiving > 5400 cGy.

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant radiotherapy dose > 5400 cGy was associated with improved OS for children aged 2-18 years with WHO grade II-III intracranial ependymoma. No OS benefit was found with > 5400 cGy in adults or children less than two years of age.

Central nervous system ependymoma: clinical implications of the new molecular classification, treatment guidelines and controversial issues

Ependymoma is an uncommon neuroepithelial tumor that may arise anywhere within the neuroaxis, both in children and in adults. It has been classically graded upon histopathological features, yet with limited clinical utility. Recently, DNA methylation profiling has provided a novel classification of ependymoma in nine molecular subgroups. This stratification method harbors prognostic value with supratentorial RELA-fusion and posterior fossa group A tumors showing a significantly shorter survival compared to the rest. Currently, the treatment of choice involves maximal safe resection and, in cases of residual disease, adjuvant conformal radiotherapy. Second-look surgery is also a feasible and recommended option for incompletely resected tumors. The role of chemotherapy is not yet established and can be considered in infants and children with relapsing disease or prior to re-intervention. Although targeted agents do not seem to play a role as adjuvant therapy, they are currently being tested for recurrent disease.

Treatment and survival of supratentorial and posterior fossa ependymomas in adults

Ependymoma is a rare primary brain or spinal cord tumor that arises from the ependyma, a tissue of the central nervous system. This study analyzed a large cohort of adult supratentorial and posterior fossa ependymoma tumors in order to elucidate factors associated with overall survival. We utilized the USA National Cancer Database to study adult World Health Organization grade II/III supratentorial and posterior fossa ependymoma patients treated between 1998 and 2011. Overall survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and factors associated with survival were determined using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Among 1318 patients, 1055 (80.0%) had grade II and 263 (20.0%) anaplastic tumors located in the posterior fossa (64.3%) and supratentorial region (35.7%). Overall average age was 44.3years, 48.0% of patients were female, 86.5% were Caucasian, and 36.8% underwent near/gross total surgical resection. Radiotherapy was given to 662 patients (50.8%) and 75 (5.9%) received chemotherapy. Older age at diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.51, p<0.0001), high tumor grade (HR 1.82, p=0.005), and large tumor size (HR 1.66, p=0.008) were associated with poor survival. Females compared to males (HR 0.67, p=0.03) and patients with posterior fossa tumors versus supratentorial (HR 0.64, p=0.04) had a survival advantage. Our study showed that older patients, with supratentorial tumors, and high histological grade had an increased risk of mortality. A survival benefit was captured in females and patients with posterior fossa tumors. Adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy did not confer a survival benefit among all patients, even after stratification by tumor grade or anatomical location.

Posterior Fossa Intra-Axial Tumors in Adults

BACKGROUND

The posterior fossa is the site of many types of tumors, and brain metastases are the most common malignancies in that location among adults. Other brain tumors, such as ependymomas, medulloblastomas, and juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas, mostly occur during childhood and are relatively rare in adults. Most primary malignant brain tumors, such as gliomas and lymphomas, tend to be located in the supratentorial compartment.

METHODS

This review summarizes prognostic factors, therapeutic management, and molecular data of intra-axial posterior fossa tumors in adults, including ependymomas, medulloblastomas, and pilocytic astrocytomas.

RESULTS

The literature on intra-axial posterior fossa tumors in adults relies mainly on limited retrospective clinical studies, and such studies employ a wide range of treatment approaches that are usually based on therapies developed specifically for children or for supratentorial brain tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical course and surgical outcome of adult patients with intra-axial brain tumors in the posterior fossa are summarized in this review. The prognostic factors and therapeutic management of patients with these tumors are controversial because of their rarity, their heterogeneity, and the lack of sufficient data in the literature.

Intraparenchymal infratentorial ependymoma

Ependymomas are glial series tumours that can occur throughout the neural axis, usually in close proximity to the ventricles or central canal. While the fourth ventricle is a common location for ependymoma, we present a rare case of an entirely intraparenchymal infratentorial tumour, remote from the ventricular surface, and discuss the imaging characteristics that may suggest the diagnosis. The histological features, which remain identical despite the varied morphology of intraventricular versus intraparenchymal tumours, are also considered.

Imaging of brain tumors

Neuroimaging plays a crucial role in diagnosis of brain tumors and in the decision-making process for therapy. Functional imaging techniques can reflect cellular density (diffusion imaging), capillary density (perfusion techniques), and tissue biochemistry (magnetic resonance [MR] spectroscopy). In addition, cortical activation imaging (functional MR imaging) can identify various loci of eloquent cerebral cortical function. Combining these new tools can increase diagnostic specificity and confidence. Familiarity with conventional and advanced imaging findings facilitates accurate diagnosis, differentiation from other processes, and optimal patient treatment. This article is a practical synopsis of pathologic, clinical, and imaging spectra of most common brain tumors.

Predictors of functional recovery in adults with posterior fossa ependymomas

OBJECT

After complete resection and radiation therapy, the 10-year overall survival rates for adult patients with posterior fossa ependymomas approach 85%. This favorable outcome profile emphasizes the critical importance of functional preservation to this patient population. Here, the authors identify predictors of functional outcome following microsurgical resection of adult posterior fossa ependymomas.

METHODS

The authors identified adult patients with newly diagnosed WHO Grade II posterior fossa ependymomas who underwent microsurgical resection at the Barrow Neurological Institute from 1990 to 2011. Clinical and radiographic variables were collected, including volumetric extent of resection, foramen of Luschka extension, cystic changes, peritumoral T2 signal changes, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Forty-five patients were identified, with a median clinical follow-up of 103 months. The median PFS and OS were 6.8 and 8.6 years, respectively. Extent of resection and adjuvant radiotherapy were predictive of improved PFS (p = 0.005) and were nonsignificantly associated with improved OS. Univariate analysis revealed that tumor size (p < 0.001), cystic changes (p < 0.01), postoperative T2 signal (p < 0.01), and CSF diversion (p = 0.048) predicted functional and neurological recovery rates, based on KPS and NIHSS scores, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis identified tumor size (p < 0.001), cystic changes (p = 0.01), and CSF diversion (p = 0.02) as independent predictors of slower functional recovery, while only tumor size (p = 0.007) was an independent predictor of neurological recovery. Specifically, by 6 weeks postoperatively, baseline KPS score was recovered by only 43.8% of patients with tumors larger than 30 cm(3) (vs 72.4% patients with tumors < 30 cm(3)), 35.3% of patients with cystic tumors (vs 78.6% of patients with noncystic tumors), and 46.7% of patients requiring CSF diversion (vs 70% of patients not requiring CSF diversion).

CONCLUSIONS

Greater extent of resection and adjuvant radiotherapy significantly improve PFS in adult patients with posterior fossa ependymomas. Tumor size, cystic changes, and the need for CSF diversion were independent predictors of the rate of functional recovery in this patient population. Taken together, these functional outcome predictors may guide preoperative estimations of recovery following microsurgical resection.

Spinal cord ependymoma associated with neurofibromatosis 1 : case report and review of the literature

Patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) are predisposed to develop central nervous system tumors, due to the loss of neurofibromin, an inactivator of proto-oncogene Ras. However, to our knowledge, only three cases of ependymomas with NF1 have been reported in the literature. The authors present a case of NF1 patient with a spinal cord ependymoma. She was referred for about half a year history of increasing numbness that progressed from her fingers to her entire body above the bellybutton. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a relative-demarcated, heterogeneously enhanced mass lesion accompanied by perifocal edema in C5-7 level, a left-sided T11 spinous process heterogeneously enhanced mass in soft tissue, intervertebral disk hernia in L2-5 level, and widespread punctum enhancing lesion in her scalp and in T11-L5 level. The patient underwent C5-7 laminectomies and total excision of the tumor under operative microscope, and intraoperative ultrasonography and physiological monitoring were used during the surgery. Histopathologically, her tumor was found to be a ependymoma without malignant features (grade II in the World Health Organization classification). Therefore, no adjuvant therapy was applied. Following the operation, the patient showed an uneventful clinical recovery with no evidence of tumor recurrence after one year of follow-up.

Intramedullary medullocervical ependymoma--surgical treatment, functional recovery, and long-term outcome

To evaluate the long-term outcome and functional recovery of intramedullary medullocervical ependymoma (IME), the clinical charts of 38 surgically treated consecutive cases of IME were reviewed. Follow-up was obtained prospectively. The mean age of the patients (19 male and 19 female) was 35.3 years (range: 11-60 years). Complete resection was achieved in 33 (86.8%) patients. Fourteen patients worsened postoperatively; five and seven of these improved to their baseline levels within 1 and 3 months, respectively. By 1 year postoperatively, 17 patients returned to work. After a mean follow-up duration of 81.5 months, 31 patients improved or stabilized, and 3 had recurrence. The means of the modified McCormick grade (mMG) scores before the operation, at discharge, 1 year after the operation, and at the most recent evaluation were 1.76, 2.13, 1.82, and 1.84, respectively. A favorable long-term outcome of the mMG was associated with a good preoperative status (mMG I) (odds ratio [OR] = 9.956, p = 0.008) and well-defined tumor boundary (OR = 7.829, p = 0.035). Improvements in the postoperative walking dysfunction and paresthesia over time were associated with the absence of preoperative walking dysfunction (p = 0.047) and paresthesia (p = 0.028), respectively. The 12-year progression/recurrence-free survival and overall survival rates were 92.0% and 93.7%, respectively. The study suggests that the goal of surgery is to stabilize the preoperative neurological function and that a favorable outcome may be achieved in patients with good preoperative statuses and well-defined tumor boundaries. Surgery should be performed as soon as possible after the diagnoses and before the neurological functions deteriorate.

A multi-center retrospective analysis of treatment effects and quality of life in adult patients with cranial ependymomas

Long term quality of life data of adult patients harboring intracranial ependymomas have not been reported. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy in Grade II ependymomas is unclear and differs from study to study. We therefore sought to retrospectively analyze outcome and quality of life of adult patients that were operated on intracranial ependymomas at four different surgical centers in two countries. All patients were attempted to be contacted via telephone to assess quality of life (QoL) at the time of the telephone interview. The standard EORTC QoL Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTC QLQ-Brain Cancer Module (QLQ-BN20) were used. 64 adult patients with intracranial ependymomas were included in the study. The only factor that was associated with increased survival was age <55 years (p < 0.001). Supratentorial location was correlated with shorter progression free survival than infratentorial location (PFS; p = 0.048). In WHO Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to increased PFS (p = 0.888) or overall survival (p = 0.801). Even for incompletely resected Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to a benefit in PFS (p = 0.911). In a multivariate analysis of QoL, irradiated patients had significantly worse scores in the item "fatigue" (p = 0.037) than non-irradiated patients. Here we present QoL data of adult patients with intracranial ependymomas. Our data show that local radiation therapy may have long-term effects on patients' QoL. Since in the incompletely resected Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to a benefit in PFS in this retrospective study, prospective randomized studies are necessary. In addition to age, supratentorial tumor location is associated with a worse prognosis in adult ependymoma patients.

Histological predictors of outcome in ependymoma are dependent on anatomic site within the central nervous system

Ependymomas originate in posterior fossa (PF), supratentorial (ST) or spinal cord (SC) compartments. At present, grading schemes are applied independent of anatomic site. We performed detailed histological examination on 238 World Health Organization grade II and III ependymomas. Among PF ependymomas, the presence of hypercellular areas, necrosis, microvascular proliferation and elevated mitotic rate (all P < 0.01) were significantly associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS), while extensive ependymal canal formation was not (P = 0.89). Similar to the PF tumors, microvascular proliferation (P = 0.01) and elevated mitotic rate (P = 0.03) were significantly associated with worse PFS in the ST tumors. However, in contrast to PF tumors, extensive ependymal canals (P = 0.03) were associated with worse clinical outcome in ST ependymomas, but hypercellularity (P = 0.57) and necrosis (P = 0.47) were not. On multivariate Cox regression, after adjusting for relevant clinical variables, individual histological factors and a composite histological score remained significant among ST and PF ependymoma. In contrast to both PF and ST ependymoma, histological features were not found to be associated with PFS in SC tumors. Taken together, the clinical relevance of specific histological features in ependymoma appears to be related to the anatomic site of origin and suggests that site-specific grading criteria be considered in future classification systems.

Role of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in papillary tumors of the pineal region: a multicenter study

Papillary tumor of the pineal region (PTPR), recently described as a distinct clinicopathological entity, can show aggressive biological behavior. The optimal therapeutic approach of PTPR has not been well defined. The role of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in the treatment of PTPR was analyzed in a large multicenter series. In order to determine factors that influence prognosis, outcome data of a series of 44 patients with histopathologically proven PTPR were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 44 patients, 32 were still alive after a median follow-up of 63.1 months. Twelve patients experienced progressive disease, with seven undergoing two relapses and five more than two. Median overall survival (OS) was not achieved. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 58.1 months. Only gross total resection and younger age were associated with a longer OS, radiotherapy and chemotherapy having no significant impact. PFS was not influenced by gross total resection. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy had no significant effect. This retrospective series confirms the high risk of recurrence in PTPR and emphasizes the importance of gross total resection. However, our data provide no evidence for a role of adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy in the treatment of PTPR.

Supratentorial ependymoma: disease control, complications, and functional outcomes after irradiation

PURPOSE

Ependymoma is less commonly found in the supratentorial brain and has known clinical and molecular features that are unique. Our single-institution series provides valuable information about disease control for supratentorial ependymoma and the complications of supratentorial irradiation in children.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A total of 50 children with newly diagnosed supratentorial ependymoma were treated with adjuvant radiation therapy (RT); conformal methods were used in 36 after 1996. The median age at RT was 6.5 years (range, 1-18.9 years). The entire group was characterized according to sex (girls 27), race (white 43), extent of resection (gross-total 46), and tumor grade (anaplastic 28). The conformal RT group was prospectively evaluated for neurologic, endocrine, and cognitive effects.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up time of 9.1 years from the start of RT for survivors (range, 0.2-23.2 years), the 10-year progression-free and overall survival were 73% + 7% and 76% + 6%, respectively. None of the evaluated factors was prognostic for disease control. Local and distant failures were evenly divided among the 16 patients who experienced progression. Eleven patients died of disease, and 1 of central nervous system necrosis. Seizure disorders were present in 17 patients, and 4 were considered to be clinically disabled. Clinically significant cognitive effects were limited to children with difficult-to-control seizures. The average values for intelligence quotient and academic achievement (reading, spelling, and math) were within the range of normal through 10 years of follow-up. Central hypothyroidism was the most commonly treated endocrinopathy.

CONCLUSION

RT may be administered with acceptable risks for complications in children with supratentorial ependymoma. These results suggest that outcomes for these children are improving and that complications may be limited by use of focal irradiation methods.

The complete surgical resection without the radiotherapy for a recurred anaplastic ependymoma at the cervicomedullary junction

The intramedullary anaplastic ependymoma rarely occurs in the cervicomedullary junction. A 45-year-old woman had a history of right arm pain for several months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine demonstrated an intramedullary tumor with syrinx at the cervicomedullary junction. The patient underwent a partial resection at another institute. Neurologic deficit worsened after the first surgery. The follow up MRI showed that the enlarged enhancing tumor and syrinx still existed with the same size and configuration. Complete surgical resection was achieved in the revision surgery. Final histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of an anaplastic ependymoma, and since complete surgical resection was achieved the patient did not receive adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy. The patient was followed-up periodically at the outpatient department, and at the 7 months follow-up the muscle tone of the right hand was normal but with mild sensory deficit, and the MRI demonstrated no evidence of recurrent disease. Intramedullary anaplastic ependymoma that occur in the cervicomedullary junction which are completely resected may be followed-up without adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy to attain good clinical outcome.

A prognostic gene expression signature in infratentorial ependymoma

Patients with ependymoma exhibit a wide range of clinical outcomes that are currently unexplained by clinical or histological factors. Little is known regarding molecular biomarkers that could predict clinical behavior. Since recent data suggest that these tumors display biological characteristics according to their location (cerebral vs. infratentorial vs. spinal cord), rather than explore a broad spectrum of ependymoma, we focused on molecular alterations in ependymomas arising in the infratentorial compartment. Unsupervised clustering of available gene expression microarray data revealed two major subgroups of infratentorial ependymoma. Group 1 tumors over expressed genes that were associated with mesenchyme, Group 2 tumors showed no distinct gene ontologies. To assess the prognostic significance of these gene expression subgroups, real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays were performed on genes defining the subgroups in a training set. This resulted in a 10-gene prognostic signature. Multivariate analysis showed that the 10-gene signature was an independent predictor of recurrence-free survival after adjusting for clinical factors. Evaluation of an external dataset describing subgroups of infratentorial ependymomas showed concordance of subgroup definition, including validation of the mesenchymal subclass. Importantly, the 10-gene signature was validated as a predictor of recurrence-free survival in this dataset. Taken together, the results indicate a link between clinical outcome and biologically identified subsets of infratentorial ependymoma and offer the potential for prognostic testing to estimate clinical aggressiveness in these tumors.

Ependymomas in adults

Ependymomas are rare primary central nervous system tumors in adults. They occur most commonly in the spinal cord, where histopathologic evaluation is critical to differentiate the grade I myxopapillary ependymoma from the grade II ependymoma or grade III anaplastic ependymoma. Brain ependymomas are either grade II or III. Treatment for all grades and types includes maximum surgical resection. For myxopapillary ependymoma, complete removal while maintaining capsule integrity may be curative. Some grade II ependymomas may be observed carefully after imaging confirms complete resection, but grade III tumors require adjuvant radiation treatment. Radiation commonly is given to the region of tumor, except in cases in which there is imaging or cerebrospinal fluid evidence of tumor dissemination. Chemotherapy has not been studied extensively, although most reports suggest only modest benefit. Ongoing laboratory studies have uncovered important signal transduction pathways that may be better therapeutic targets, leading to the development of clinical trials using targeted agents.