Incidence and survival rates for adult malignant neuro-epithelial brain tumors in the Somme county (France): A retrospective, population-based study from 2003 to 2013

Abstract Aims To describe the incidence and survival rates for neuro-epithelial primary brain tumors (NPBTs) in adults in the Somme county between 2003 and 2013. Methods By analyzing the Somme Cancer Registry, we calculated the age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) for NPBTs. Independent effects of age, gender and period of diagnosis on the incidence were evaluated in a Poisson regression analysis. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to adjust the overall survival rates for age, gender, histologic group and period. Results Of the 257 registered NPBTs, 193 (75.1%) were astrocytic tumors. The subpopulations most affected by NPBTs were men (incidence rate ratio (IRR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] females/males=0.7 [0.55–0.90], p Conclusion We observed an increase in the incidence of NPBTs and in survival rates between 2009 and 2013. These increases might have been due to broader, earlier access to diagnostic tools and/or improvements in treatment procedures.