Epidemiology of brain and central nervous system cancers in children and adolescents.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Descriptive population-level modeling study based on global cancer registries and vital statistics data (GBD 2021).
PubMed 41981148 · doi:10.1007/s00381-026-07252-6
What was done
Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, researchers modeled global, regional, and national incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for brain and other central nervous system (CNS) cancers in individuals under 20 years old across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Rates were analyzed by sex, age bracket, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Joinpoint regression assessed past temporal trends, and age-period-cohort models projected trends through 2046.
What was found
In 2021, there were an estimated 40,535 incident cases, 19,923 deaths, and 1.63 million DALYs attributable to pediatric and adolescent CNS cancers worldwide. While overall age-standardized incidence, mortality, and DALY rates fell between 1990 and 2021, incidence specifically increased among adolescents aged 10–19. High-SDI regions reported the highest incidence rates, whereas low- and low-middle-SDI regions experienced disproportionately higher mortality and DALY burdens. Rates remained higher in males than females. Mortality and DALY rates were projected to continue declining through 2046, though future incidence trajectories carried modeling uncertainty.
Why it matters
These findings identify an emerging rise in CNS cancer incidence among adolescents and highlight major disparities in survival between low- and high-resource regions to help target pediatric oncology healthcare policy.
Limits
The analysis relies on secondary modeling from the GBD database, which is heavily constrained by incomplete cancer registries and underreported vital statistics in low- and middle-income countries. Specific tumor histology, diagnostic access, and therapeutic regimens were not characterized in the abstract.
Cited by
- context Brain cancer is the number one cause of disease-related death in children.