ABSTRACT
Background. Medulloblastoma represents 20 percent of all tumors of the central nervous system. Patients with partial resection of the tumor and those with extension into the neuraxis at diagnosis have been identified as high-risk patients. The objective of our study was to determine tumor response, survival rates and toxicity with anew scheme of treatment with carboplatin, and etoposide and radiotherapy. Methods. All patients received chemotherapy with carboplatin and etoposide every 4 weeks for four courses, hyperfractionated radiotherapy, and another four courses of the above chemotherapy scheme. Tumor response was classified, and global and disease-free survival rates were calculated according to the actuarial survival method. Results. A total of 26 patients were included, with a median age of 6.9 years. Nineteen achieved complete response after the first four courses of chemotherapy, and two more had a complete response after radiotherapy. A total of seven children have died, three of whom did not respond to initial treatment. Global and disease-free survival rates were 69 percent and 64 percent, respectively, at 60 months of follow-up. There was no renal or auditory toxicity. Hematological toxicity was transitory and reversible. Conclusions. This scheme of treatment is effective and can be safely used for pediatric patients with hig-risk medulloblastomas. Toxicity was not significants, and survival is similar to other reports
Subject(s)
Humans , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy , Brain Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Brain Neoplasms/therapy , Carboplatin/administration & dosage , Combined Modality Therapy , Disease-Free Survival , Dosage Forms , Etoposide/administration & dosage , Medulloblastoma/drug therapy , Medulloblastoma/radiotherapy , Medulloblastoma/therapyABSTRACT
Introducción. Se estudiaron prospectivamente diez pacientes con meduloblastoma de alto riesgo que recibrieron quimioterapia postoperatoria con carboplatino y etopósido previo a radioterapia. Material y métodos. Se realizaron a cada uno de los pacientes estudios de resonancia magnética de cráneo y neuroeje antes de iniciado el tratamiento y al concluir, con el fin de valorar la respuesta tumoral obtenida. Se deretminó el grado de toxicidad hematológica secundaria al tratamiento y se calculó la sobrevida actuarial obtenida. Resultados. Ocho pacientes presentaron una respuesta superior al 50 por ciento; la toxicidad hematológica se presentó en el 34.2 por ciento de los cursos administrados. La sobrevida actuarial obtenida a 18 meses fue del 57 por ciento en el mismo periodo. Conclusiones. La asociación de carboplatino y etopósido empleados en conjunto tienen un buen efecto antitumoral en este tipo de neoplasias con mínimos efectos colaterales y con la posibilidad de mejorar la sobrevida de los pacientes con meduloblastoma de alto riesgo