Pediatric brain tumors in Non-Hispanics, Hispanics, African Americans and Asians: differences in survival after diagnosis

Background: Racial differences in survival for children with brain tumors have not been well studied, particularly in Hispanics and Asians. The objective of this study was to assess racial differences in survival of children with brain tumors, focusing on Hispanics, African Americans and Asians compared to Non-Hispanics. Methods: Subjects identified through the SEER Program were 2799 children, <= 19 years old at diagnosis, newly diagnosed between 1973 and 1996 with primary, malignant brain tumors. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate prognostic variables by race. Kaplan-Meier models and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess racial differences in overall survival and in survival by histological type of tumor. Results: The distribution histological type of tumor varied significantly by race. Overall survival was similar for Hispanics, African Americans, Asians compared to Non-Hispanics, although trends of increased risk of death for the minority groups were noted when stratifying by histological type of tumor. Conclusions: Racial differences in survival could exist by histological type of tumor, but further work is necessary for a more complete understanding of these differences.