Disparities among racial/ethnic groups of patients diagnosed with ependymoma: analyses from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify racial/ethnic disparities with regard to survival among patients with ependymoma. Methods: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry between the years of 1973–2015 which included 4821 patients diagnosed with ependymoma were analyzed. Multivariable cox proportional hazard ratios were performed to examine overall survival across racial/ethnic groups of patients with ependymoma, mortality risks across specified age groups, and mortality during specified time intervals, all with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results: Non-Hispanic black patients (n = 421) have higher risk of overall mortality when compared to non-Hispanic white patients (n = 3255) with ependymoma (HR 1.48, CI 1.17–1.87). Risk of mortality was highest when comparing non-Hispanic black children under the age of 3 to non-Hispanic white children of the same age group (HR 3.05, CI 1.55–5.99). Mortality risk has increased among pediatric non-Hispanic black patients compared to pediatric non-Hispanic white patients between the years of 2006–2015, from previous rates between the years 1973–2005 (HR 1.95, CI 1.15–3.33 and HR 2.35, CI 1.24–4.44). Hispanic patients under 3 years had an increased risk of mortality compared to non-Hispanic white patients of this age group (HR 2.49, CI 1.37–4.53). Asian/Pacific Islander patients (n = 282) had no significant difference in outcomes when compared to non-Hispanic white patients. Conclusions: Our findings showed higher risk of mortality among non-Hispanic black patients compared to non-Hispanic white patients with ependymoma, with highest risk among pediatric patients. These results demonstrate significant need for research in survival outcomes for this disease.