Reirradiation of Recurrent Tumors in Central Nervous System in Children and Adolescents
In Cuba, tumors of the Central Nervous System for children and
adolescents account between 18 and 20% of all tumors in this group of age.
The main methods of treatment are surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy is a major treatment avenue in medulloblastomas, primitive
neuroectodermal tumor in some cases of germinomas consist of craniospinal irradiation,
and a supplementary boost to the post-operative tumor bed, followed by chemotherapy.
In diffuse infiltrative brainstem gliomas local radiotherapy is applied,
although in our institute it is combined with a monoclonal antibody,
which allows up to a 33 % expected survival for as long as 10-years.
Ependymomas receive only local irradiation plus chemotherapy,
except in cases of extension to the spinal canal, where they received CS.
Astrocytomas and glioblastomas only receive local irradiation and in some
cases chemotherapy.
Thus it is necessary to weigh benefits versus toxicity. In order to offer benefits,
newer approaches in radiation therapy are employed, as intensity-modulated radiation
therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery and radiation therapy with particles and so on.
The present study is a report for a series of 17 children and adolescents who
received reirradiation for relapse of the primary tumor.
Neuro Open J. 2019; 6(1): 1-5. doi: 10.17140/NOJ-6-129
