Sex-related incidence and survival differences in pediatric high-grade glioma subtypes: A population-based cohort study

Raoull Hoogendijk; Jasper van der Lugt; Josh Baugh; Cassie Kline; Mariette Kranendonk; Eelco Hoving; Leontien Kremer; Pieter Wesseling; Henrike Karim-Kos; Dannis van Vuurden

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107957

Sex-related incidence and survival differences in pediatric high-grade glioma subtypes: A population-based cohort study

iScience. 2023 Sep 17;26(10):107957. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107957. eCollection 2023 Oct 20.

Authors

Raoull Hoogendijk¹, Jasper van der Lugt¹, Josh Baugh¹, Cassie Kline², Mariette Kranendonk¹, Eelco Hoving^{1

3}, Leontien Kremer^{1

4}, Pieter Wesseling^{1

5}, Henrike Karim-Kos^{1

6}, Dannis van Vuurden¹

Affiliations

¹ Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
² Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
³ Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Emma Children's Hospital/ Amsterdam University Medical Center/AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers/VUmc, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
⁶ Department of Research and Innovation, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Not much is known on sex differences in incidence, survival, and treatment characteristics for midline and hemispheric pHGGs. This population-based study confirms previously reported study results that found worse survival outcomes for malignant diffuse gliomas in girls in the age group 0-9 years. Additionally, in our study we pinpoint this difference to girls with midline pHGGs aged 0-4 years. We provide insight in the possible underlying mechanisms contributing to sex survival differences in pHGG patients. With first line treatment having no impact on the higher risk of dying for girls, but age and tumor characteristics having a neutralizing effect. The results of this population-based study serve as a basis for future pre-clinical and clinical studies to further unravel the underlying mechanisms responsible for the survival gap between sexes in midline pHGG.

Keywords: Cancer; Pediatrics; Population; Public health.