Comprehensive Review of Cranial Chordomas Using National Databases in the USA

Aims: The management of cranial chordomas is controversial. We provide a comprehensive review of the evolving patterns of care of cranial chordomas in the USA.

Materials and methods: We analysed the National Cancer Database (NCDB) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2014 for clinical characteristics and long-term survival, and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) dataset between 2005 and 2016 for perioperative characteristics and surgical morbidity.

Results: In total, 936 patients were identified from the NCDB, 405 patients from SEER and 64 patients from the NSQIP. Most patients were men (56.2, 54.8 and 57.8% in NCDB, SEER and NSQIP, respectively) and White (80.9 and 83.2% in NCDB and SEER, respectively). Surgery was the preferred treatment modality (87.3% in NCDB and 86.2% in SEER). Surgery was carried out alone (41.8% in NCDB and 40.7% in SEER) or in combination with radiation (42.1% in NCDB and 45.4% in SEER). Proton therapy was the most common type of radiation (32.2% in NCDB), particularly after 2011. The median operative time, median hospital length and postoperative morbidity were significantly higher in chordoma patients compared with patients who underwent other skull-base procedures. The 5-year survival rate was 79.8% in NCDB and 76.9% in SEER. There was a trend towards longer survival in patients receiving surgery and radiation, which has been increasingly used since 2004. Patients younger than 60 years had a decreased risk of mortality.

Conclusions: Our analysis reflects patterns of care in the USA. The use of surgery and radiation is increasing, with a trend towards longer survival. Surgery is complicated with long operative time, hospital stay and a higher rate of complications.