ID #908 Overall Survival of Children With Ependymoma Treated at a Tertiary Center in Kazakhstan (2015–2025)
Assel Suleimenova, Daulet Igenbayev, Amina Valiyeva, Mauricio Sanchez Salazar, Ibrahim Qaddoumi, Sara Khan, Maura Massimino, Baglan Baizakova, Jessica RodriguesAbstract
Background
Pediatric ependymoma comprises biologically distinct molecular subgroups with heterogenous outcomes. While treatment and survival outcomes stratified by molecular classification are well described in high-income settings, long-term outcome data from Central Asia is limited. We aimed to describe overall survival (OS) in a cohort of children with ependymoma treated at a tertiary referral center in Kazakhstan and to outline ongoing efforts to integrate clinical outcomes with molecular classification.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children diagnosed with ependymoma between January 2015 and December 2025 at a tertiary pediatric oncology center in Kazakhstan. OS was defined as the time from diagnosis to death from any cause. Survival probabilities were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Clinical and treatment-related data were abstracted from medical records. Comprehensive molecular characterization is currently under way and will be incorporated at the time of presentation.
Results
Fifty-eight patients were included. Median age at diagnosis was 4.7 years (interquartile range [IQR] 2.2–9.5), and 39 patients (67%) were male. Over a median follow-up of 6.9 years, 19 deaths were observed. Estimated OS was 91.3% (95% CI 80.4–96.3) at 1 year, 76.2% (95% CI 62.5–85.5) at 3 years, and 65.4% (95% CI 50.5–76.7) at 5 years. Median OS was not reached.
Conclusions
This study provides the first long-term overall survival estimates for pediatric ependymoma from a tertiary referral center in Kazakhstan. As molecular characterization efforts develop, integration of these with clinical outcomes from this cohort will be critical for refining risk stratification and treatment strategies in the region.