Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: There is no standard approach to the management of children with recurrent medulloblastoma (MB). The prognosis for these patients remains dismal, and there are few long-term survivors. Although radiation therapy is an essential component of multimodality therapy in the treatment of newly diagnosed MB, there has been much debate about the use of irradiation at the time of progression because of the potential for toxicity and uncertainty about its ability to improve overall survival. A recent study by Wetmore et al compared survival outcome and toxicities of patients with recurrent MB treated with (14 patients) or without (24 patients) additional irradiation. For relapsed standard-risk patients, the use of additional irradiation resulted in a statistically significant improvement in OS from initial diagnosis, with 5- and 10- year OS rates of 55 ± 14% and 33 ± 16% versus 46 ± 14% and 0% for reirradiated patients versus others, respectively. There was an association between the use of additional irradiation and an increased rate of subclinical necrosis. Conversely, there were no differences in the incidence of hemorrhage or pituitary and thyroid dysfunction between patients who did and did not receive reirradiation.
Source: Neuro-Oncology
Authors: R. Soffietti, W. Pope, D. Schiff, W. Wick
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics (clinical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4250008283