Analysis of geographical distribution of high-grade glioma diagnoses in the Alessandria province: pilot study preliminary results

Background: one under-researched line of investigation is gliomas, which are a group of malignant brain tumours with highly poor prognoses. Despite efforts to identify environmental risk factors for gliomas, their etiology still remains unclear. It turns out that several future developments are needed in order to understand other potential risk factors. To this end, the primary objective of the present pilot study is to conduct an assessment of the spatial distribution of high-grade brain tumor cases in the province of Alessandria, where possible risk factors such as the presence of chemical industries and asbestiform fibers are found.

Materials and Methods: the study sample consisted of all patients diagnosed with high-grade glioma between January 2018 and April 2023, residents in the province of Alessandria at the time of diagnosis and referred to the health facilities of the "Azienda Sanitaria Locale di Alessandria" and the "Azienda Universitario-Ospedaliera di Alessandria". Biographical and pathological history variables were collected, and finally, data were processed in aggregate and anonymized form. A total of 103 deceased patients were enrolled, stratified by age and type of diagnosis.

Results: it was seen that the city with the most cases was Alessandria, with 27 diagnoses found during the period under review (26.2%), followed by cities of Acqui Terme, Casale Monferrato, and Novi Ligure with seven diagnoses (6.8%). Preliminary results presented in this paper were compared with data already published.

Conclusions: analyses performed to arrive at an initial geographical distribution of high-grade glioma diagnoses are consistent relative to the population density of each municipality considered.