We hope such measures can help reduce the side effects of this treatment, especially in younger patients.”Ĭollaborating with children’s hospitals across the U.S. But we also found that we could safely reduce the size of the volume of the brain that receives a radiation boost at the end of the treatment regimen. “We found that reducing the dose of radiation received over the six-week course of treatment had a negative impact on survival. “We wanted to investigate whether we could safely reduce the amount of radiation these patients receive - sparing normal parts of the brain and lessening the side effects for children with this type of brain cancer - while also maintaining effective treatment,” said Michalski, also vice chair and director of clinical programs in the Department of Radiation Oncology. ![]() They also receive chemotherapy and radiation therapy to prevent the spread of the tumor to other parts of the brain and spine through the cerebrospinal fluid. There’s a balance between effectively treating the tumor without damaging children’s abilities to move, think and learn.”Ĭhildren with average risk medulloblastoma typically undergo surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. ![]() The radiation treatment for this tumor also can be challenging, especially in younger children whose brains are actively developing in these areas. “It is a malignant brain tumor that develops in the cerebellum, the back lower part of the brain that is important for coordinating movement, speech and balance. Perez Distinguished Professor of Radiation Oncology at Washington University. “Medulloblastoma is a devastating disease,” said first and corresponding author Jeff M. The findings appear online June 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. For this study, the researchers focused on patients with average risk medulloblastoma. Other factors - such as a child’s age and whether the tumor has spread - help determine the risk category. In contrast, children with what’s called “high risk medulloblastoma” have five-year survival rates of 50% to 75%. Further, the researchers showed that patients’ cancers responded differently to therapy depending on the biology of the tumors, setting the stage for future clinical trials of more targeted treatments.Ĭhildren with average risk medulloblastoma have five-year survival rates of 75% to 90%. But the researchers also found that the dose of the preventive radiation treatments given to the whole brain and spine over the six-week regimen cannot be reduced without reducing survival. Jude Children’s Research Hospital suggests that children with what is called “average risk medulloblastoma” can receive a radiation “boost” to a smaller volume of the brain at the end of a six-week course of radiation treatment and still maintain the same disease control as those receiving radiation to a larger area. However, the radiation used to treat such tumors takes a toll on the brain, damaging cognitive function, especially in younger patients whose brains are just beginning to develop.Ī national study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Radiation therapy to the whole brain and spine followed by an extra radiation dose to the back of the brain prevents this spread and has been the standard of care. This cancer can spread through the spinal fluid and be deposited elsewhere in the brain or spine. Medulloblastoma is a rare but devastating childhood brain cancer. The preventive radiation treatment to the entire brain and spine is shown in green. An extra "boost" radiation dose to the back of the brain is shown in red. Shown is a proton therapy plan for a patient with medulloblastoma. Some aspects of radiation therapy may be reduced while still providing effective treatment. Louis provides new guidance on the treatment of medulloblastoma, a pediatric brain cancer. ![]() JWashington University School of MedicineĪ new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St.Some but not all radiation therapy can be safely reduced in medulloblastomaīy Julia Evangelou Strait News Release Study sheds light on treatment options for devastating childhood brain cancer
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