Scarpelli, Daphne B.Yu, YunTep, Amanda C.Bergue, BaileyDegnin, CatherineChen, YiyiMcClelland, Shearwood, IIIJaboin, Jerry J.2024-03-282024-03-282021Scarpelli DB, Yu Y, Tep AC, et al. Pediatric Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma: A National Database Inquiry on Current Treatment Approaches in the United States. Cancer Rep (Hoboken). 2021;4(6):e1415. doi:10.1002/cnr2.1415https://hdl.handle.net/1805/39601Background: Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXAs) account for <1% of primary brain tumors, occurring predominantly in children and young adults. Surgical resection serves as the primary treatment for PXAs, while radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy protocols remain poorly defined. Aim: This study aims to determine current care patterns utilized for pediatric patients (≤ 18 years) diagnosed with PXAs and their effect on overall survival. Methods: The United States National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried between 2004 and 2015 for pediatric patients (≤18 years) diagnosed with PXAs. Results: From the 224 qualifying patients, most patients proceeded with surgery only (78.1%), while 11.6% of patients received both adjuvant RT and chemotherapy. In the 2010-2015 cohort, patients with subtotal resection were associated with poorer prognosis than those with gross-total resection (hazard ratio = 17.44, 95% confidence interval = 2.10-144.90, p < .001). RT and chemotherapy recipients were similarly associated with poorer survival than those treated with surgery only, with p-values of <.001 and respective hazard ratios of 3.82 (95% confidence interval = 1.85-7.90) and 6.68 (95% confidence interval = 3.21-13.89). The key factors impacting the probability of RT delivery involved WHO grade (p < .001) and chemotherapy administration (p < .001). However, WHO grade alone did not significantly impact survival (p-value = .088). Conclusion: Maximally safe resection is the current treatment goal for patients with PXAs. RT and chemotherapy are poorly utilized but had a greater role in managing more aggressive cases of PXAs. Additional research focusing on the impact of adjuvant therapies on tumor progression is needed to better guide treatment decisions.en-USAttribution 4.0 InternationalNational Cancer DatabaseAnaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomaOverall survivalPediatricPleomorphic xanthoastrocytomaRadiotherapyArticle