2026 American Academy of Neurology Abstract Website

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the relative survival rates of male and female patients diagnosed with glioma and astrocytoma from 2000 through 2020 using data from the National Cancer Institute’s SEER Database.

Background:

Gliomas and astrocytomas are among the most common primary brain tumors with variable survival outcomes based on age, sex, and disease stage. Understanding trends in relative survival rates provides insight into treatment efficacy and prognosis.

Design/Methods:

The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) was queried to determine relative survival rates of male and female patients diagnosed with glioma and astrocytoma from 2000 through 2020. SEER defined relative survival rates as the proportion of observed survivors in a cohort of cancer patients to the proportion of expected survivors in a comparable set of matched cancer-free individuals. Data were stratified by sex, age group, and stage at the time of diagnosis. Data were analyzed using parametric tests and statistical significance was set at a p-value of less than or equal to 0.05.

Results:

In glioma, survival rates were higher in younger age groups and in females compared to males. Statistically significant differences were observed in the 50-64 age group. Females had significantly slightly better survival rates than males at the 5- and 10-year marks. Astrocytoma patients had significantly lower survival rates at all time points. Long-term survival of 10 years showed the most significant decline in astrocytoma patients aged 65+, with survival rates dropping below 10%.

Conclusions:

Glioma patients experienced better survival outcomes than astrocytoma patients, and younger age was associated with more favorable prognoses. Females generally had better survival rates. These findings highlight the need for targeted treatment strategies and further investigation into sex-based survival differences. The study is limited by its reliance on SEER data, which does not account for treatment variations, tumor genetics, or comorbid conditions.