Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intracranial tumors in Kuwait: a 15-year survey

  • Clinical Study – Patient Study
  • Published:
Journal of Neuro-Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The dearth of literature on intracranial tumors (ICT) in Kuwait has necessitated this study whose objective is epidemiological. It is based on the records of the Department of Pathology, Al-Sabah Hospital, Kuwait, where virtually all brain biopsies in Kuwait were examined. Between 1995 and 2009, 439 males (53.41%) and 383 females (46.59%) had primary intracranial tumors (PICT). Most (69%) were younger than 50 years, with 16% children and adolescents and 4% elderly (≥70 years); meningioma (28%), pituitary adenoma (19%), glioblastoma (15%), astrocytoma (13%), and medulloblastoma (5%) were the most common. In childhood and adolescence, astrocytoma (35.34%) and medulloblastoma (22.56%) predominated. The mean age-adjusted incidence rate/100,000 was: PICT: 3.02; astrocytic tumors: 0.93; meningioma: 0.96; pituitary adenoma: 0.44; and medulloblastoma: 0.13. All showed a declining trend which was only statistically significant for medulloblastoma (P = 0.007). A modest correlation between the percentage of elderly in the general population and incidence rates was found (r = 0.411). Tumors with significant male preponderance were high-grade astrocytic tumors, silent pituitary adenoma (SA), and nerve sheath tumor. Meningioma had a female to male ratio of 2.24. The peak frequency for functional pituitary adenoma and females was in the age range of 20–29 years, while for SA and males it was 40–49 years. About 5% of ICT were metastatic, with cancers of breast (26%), lung (17%) and gastrointestinal (11%) origin as the most common. In conclusion, the epidemiology of PICT in Kuwait is characterized by low incidence rates and a distinct age distribution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. McKinney PA (2004) Brain tumors: incidence, survival, and aetiology. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 75:Ii12–Ii17

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. McCarthy BJ, Schellinger KA, Propp JM, Kruchko C, Malmer B (2009) A case for the worldwide collection of primary benign brain tumors. Neuroepidemiology 33:268–275

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Gurney JG, Kadan-Lottick N (2001) Brain and other central nervous system tumors: rates, trends, and epidemiology. Curr Opin Oncol 13:160–166

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Cordera S, Bottacchi E, D’Alessandro G, Machado D, De Gonda F, Corso G (2002) Epidemiology of primary intracranial tumours in NW Italy, a population based study: stable incidence in the last two decades. J Neurol 249:281–284

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. El basmi A, Al Asfour A (2006) Kuwait cancer registry annual report. Ministry of Health, Kuwait

  6. Segi M (1960) Cancer mortality for selected sites in 24 countries (1950–1957). Department of Public Health, Tohoku University of Medicine, Sendai

  7. Wesseling P, von Delmling A, Aldape KD (2007) Metastatic tumors of the CNS. In: Louis DN, Ohgaki H, Wiestler OD, Cavenee WK (ed) WHO classification of tumors of the central nervous system, 4th edn. IARC, Lyon

  8. Pobereskin LH, Chadduck JB (2000) Incidence of brain tumors in two English counties: a population based study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 69:464–471

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. CBTRUS (2010) CBTRUS Statistical report: primary brain and central nervous system tumors diagnosed in the United States in 2004–2006. Source: Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, Hinsdale, IL. Website: www.cbtrus.org

  10. Cancer Research UK (2010) Brain and central nervous system tumours- UK incidence statistics. http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/brain/incidence/index.htm. Accessed 1 September 2010

  11. Kuratsu J, Takeshima H, Ushio Y (2001) Trends in the incidence of primary intracranial tumors in Kumamoto. Jpn Int J Clin Oncol. 6:183–191

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bondy ML, Scheurer ME, Malmer B, Barnholtz-Sloan JS, Davis FG, Il’yasova D, Kruchko C, McCarthy BJ, Rajaraman P, Schwartzbaum JA, Sadetzki S, Schlehofer B, Tihan T, Wiemels JL, Wrensch M, Buffler PA (2008) Brain tumor epidemiology: consensus from the brain tumor epidemiology consortium. Cancer 113:1953–1968

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ibrahim AW (1992) C.N.S tumors in eastern Saudi Arabia. Neurosurg Rev 15:295–302

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Mehrazin M, Rahmat H, Yavari P (2006) Epidemiology of primary intracranial tumors in Iran, 1978–2003. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 7:283–288

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Source: Population statistics-Public Authority of Civil Information, Kuwait

  16. US Census Bureau (2010) USA QuickFacts. www.census.gov/2010census. Accessed 3 September 2010

  17. Nasseri K, Mills JR (2009) Epidemiology of primary brain tumors in the Middle Eastern population in California, USA 2001–2005. Cancer Detect Prev 32:363–371

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Legler JM, Ries LA, Smith MA, Warren JL, Heineman EF, Kaplan RS, Linet MS (1999) Cancer surveillance series [corrected]: brain and other central nervous system cancers: recent trends in incidence and mortality. J Natl Cancer Inst 91:1382–1390; Erratum in: J Natl Cancer Inst 91:1693

    Google Scholar 

  19. Bouffet E, Matsutani (2005) Epidemiology of intracranial germ cell tumours (ICGCT). In: Abstracts for the second international symposium on central nervous system germ cell tumors, November 18–21, 2005, Los Angeles, California. Neuro Oncol 7: 513–533

  20. Burkhard C, Di Patre PL, Schüler D, Schüler G, Yasargil MG, Yonekawa Y, Lütolf UM, Kleihues P, Ohgaki H (2003) A population-based study of the incidence and survival rates in patients with pilocytic astrocytoma. J. Neurosurg 98:1170–1174

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Malik A, Deb P, Sharma MC, Sarkar C (2006) Neuropathological spectrum of pilocytic astrocytoma––an Indian series of 120 cases. Pathol Oncol Res 12:164–171

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

There was neither sponsorship nor funds from any source for this work. All authors do not have any conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Al-Sabah Hospital, P.O. Box 4078, Safat, 13041, Kuwait

    Kenneth Chukwuka Katchy, Anupama Arora Mallik, Nabila Mohammed Al-Nashmi, Elizabeth Joseph & Susan Alexander

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Ibn Sina Hospital, Safat, Kuwait

    Abbas Al-Ramadan

Authors
  1. Kenneth Chukwuka Katchy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anupama Arora Mallik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nabila Mohammed Al-Nashmi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Elizabeth Joseph
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Susan Alexander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Abbas Al-Ramadan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenneth Chukwuka Katchy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Katchy, K.C., Mallik, A.A., Al-Nashmi, N.M. et al. Intracranial tumors in Kuwait: a 15-year survey. J Neurooncol 104, 271–277 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-010-0482-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-010-0482-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation