Epidemiology of central nervous system neoplasms. A regional survey in Central Finland.

An epidemiologic survey of central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms in Central Finland revealed a total of 367 neoplasms, 298 of which were diagnosed during 1975-82, the remaining being diagnosed earlier. Histological verification was available in 83% of intracranial and 90% of intraspinal neoplasms. 14% of the intracranial neoplasms diagnosed during 1975-82 were found incidentally at autopsy. Metastases corresponded to 18% of all CNS neoplasms. Age- and sex-adjusted annual incidence rates for primary and metastatic intracranial neoplasms were 12.3 and 3.4/100,000, and for intraspinal neoplasms 1.3 and 0.7/100,000, respectively. The total incidence of all CNS neoplasms was 17.7/100,000/year. Of the different types of intracranial neoplasms, meningiomas were more frequent among women than among men with a ratio of 8:1; metastases were more common among men with a ratio of 2.5:1. For primary intracranial neoplasms, point prevalences (January 1, 1983) were 65.9/100,000 and intraspinal neoplasms 9.1/100,000. The corresponding period prevalences for 1982 were 73.7 and 9.5/100,000.