Epidemiology and Survival Analysis of Patients with Brainstem Cavernous Hemangioma: A Population-Based Study Using the SEER Database

Abstract This population-based study determined the epidemiology, incidence, and outcomes of brainstem cavernous hemangioma. Data on patients with brainstem cavernous hemangioma were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Descriptive analysis assessed the distribution and tumor-related characteristics of patients with brainstem cavernous hemangioma. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model were used to analyzed the possible prognostic indicators. The age-adjusted incidence rate between 2000 and 2019 was 0.0236 cases per 100,000 person-years. A total of 283 cases of brainstem cavernous hemangioma were identified between 2000 and 2019. The median patient age was 45 years (range, 0–87 years). Most patients were diagnosed between 40–44 and 55–59 years of age. Middle-aged adults (40–59 years old) accounted for 41.34% of all patients. White patients accounted for 82.6% of all patients. All patients diagnosed with brainstem cavernous hemangioma had benign lesions. Surgery was performed in 105 (37.1%) cases, radiation therapy in 5 (1.7%) cases, and chemotherapy in 1(0.4%) case. The median survival time was 71 months (range: 0–189 months). Age at diagnosis and surgery were two strong factors affecting occurrence and prognosis. Incidence did not differ between sexes and was higher in white patients. Tumor size had little impact on early prognosis; however, for late prognosis, smaller tumors (< 3 cm) had a better prognosis. No significant differences were observed in the outcomes between surgery and conservative treatment. We recommend that the treatment of patients with brainstem cavernous hemangioma should be tailored to the patient's situation (e.g., age, tumor size, possible surgical benefit, etc.) and should be individualized after taking into account.