[Brain tumors in infants and children--factors affecting prognosis. (2) Location and prognosis of astrocytoma].

Brain tumors in infants and children are different from those in adults in type and location of tumor as well as accompanying complications. Given this fact, and the fact that these patients are under development, careful consideration is required for determination of treatment planning. Thus, we have investigated the curative results of brain tumors in infants and children and factors affecting prognosis. In this study, astrocytoma which is most frequently seen in infants and children was analyzed in 181 patients. One hundred forty three of them were diagnosed as benign astrocytoma; and the other 38, as malignant astrocytoma or glioblastoma. In respect of location, supratentorial tumors were seen in 73 patients, while subtentorial tumors occurred in 61; nine tumors infiltrated into both regions. The 5-year survival rate of benign astrocytoma was 50%, compared with 6.3% in malignant astrocytoma. As for relations to location of tumor, 66% of tumors which infiltrated into the supratentorial and subtentorial regions were malignant, and the prognosis was poor: the 5-year survival rate was 14.2%. The 5 year survival rate of subtentorial tumors was 38.9%, whereas that of supratentorial tumors was 57.6%. Analysis by age revealed that malignancy increased in proportion to age over 12 months after birth; between the ages of one and six years, the incidence of malignant tumors was 9% and the 5-year survival rate was 48%, while between the ages of 12 and 16, the rates were 29% and 14%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)