Pediatric Localized Intracranial Ependymomas: A Multicenter Analysis of the Société Française de lutte contre les Cancers de l'Enfant (SFCE) from 2000 to 2013

Purpose The objective of this study was to analyze survival and prognostic factors for children, adolescents, and young adults treated with postoperative radiation therapy (RT) for intracranial ependymoma. Methods and Materials Between 2000 and 2013, 202 patients aged ≤25 years were treated in the 13 main French pediatric RT reference centers. Their medical records were reviewed for information, treatments received, and survival rates. All children had received postoperative RT— conformal, intensity modulated, or proton beam. In 2009, the prescribed standard dose in France rose from 54 Gy to 59.4 Gy. Results Median follow-up was 53.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 47-63.5). Median age at RT was 5 years (range 1-22), and 32% of the children treated were aged 54 Gy, and 71% received chemotherapy. Of the 84 relapses, 75% were local. The cumulative incidence of local relapse was 24.4% (95% CI 18.2-31.2) at 3 years and 31.3% (95% CI 24-38.9) at 5 years. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival rates were 50.4% (95% CI 42.2-58) and 71.4% (95% CI 63.1-78.2). Tumor grade was the only prognostic factor for local relapse and DFS. Tumor grade, age, and extent of resection were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Conclusions We confirmed several clinical and tumoral prognostic factors in a large French multicenter study. DFS for intracranial ependymoma remains low, and new biological and imaging markers are needed to distinguish among different subtypes, adapt treatments, and improve survival.