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Survival and treatment of cranial and spinal chordomas: a population-based study

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Abstract

Chordomas are rare, slow-growing malignant tumors. Given the paucity of data of the disease, the treatment strategies are disputed. We collected clinical and survival information of patients with chordoma diagnosed between 1975 and 2016 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. A total of 1797 patients were initially enrolled, including 762 (42.4%) cranial and 1035 (57.6%) spinal chordoma. A total of 1504 patients were further evaluated after screening. In the cranial group, the surgery (gross total resection (GTR): p = 0.001 for overall survival (OS); p = 0.009 for cancer-specific survival (CSS)), tumor extension (distant metastasis: p = 0.001 for OS; p = 0.002 for CSS), and the age (p < 0.001 for OS) were independent prognostic factors for survival. In the spinal group, the age (p = 0.004), location (p < 0.001), GTR (p < 0.001), and tumor extension (distant metastasis, p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for OS; the age (p = 0.007), histological type (p < 0.001), GTR (p < 0.001), radiation (p = 0.018), chemotherapy (p = 0.006), and tumor extension (p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for CSS. In this large cohort, a significant association was noted between extent of resection and outcome. Even though adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy did not benefit patients with chordoma, the effect on prognosis can be explored in a further study based on our findings.

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Author notes

  1. Gui-Jun Zhang and Yu-Shi Cui contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China

    Gui-Jun Zhang

  2. Department of Orthopedic, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chaoyang District, Beijing, CN100029, China

    Yu-Shi Cui

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Fengtai District, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Nansihuanxilu 119, Beijing, 100070, China

    Huan Li

Authors
  1. Gui-Jun Zhang
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Contributions

Conception and experimental design: all authors.

Acquisition of data: all authors.

Analysis and interpretation of data: all authors.

Drafting the article: Gui-Jun Zhang and Yu-Shi Cui.

Statistical analysis: Gui-Jun Zhang and Yu-Shi Cui.

Approved the final version of the manuscript on behalf of all authors: Huan Li.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huan Li.

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This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board.

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Zhang, GJ., Cui, YS. & Li, H. Survival and treatment of cranial and spinal chordomas: a population-based study. Neurosurg Rev 45, 637–647 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-021-01583-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-021-01583-5

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