The epidemiology of primary nervous system tumors in children.

A study of the descriptive epidemiology of primary tumors of the brain and nervous system in children aged 0-14 was undertaken using international incidence data. The median cumulative incidence rates for this age group were found to be 0.47 per thousand for boys and 0.39 per thousand for girls with a male: female sex ratio of 1.2. Variation in incidence rates by geographic area and race are discussed and are compared to descriptive findings for tumors of this site among adults. Data on suggested risk factors for childhood brain tumors are reviewed.