ABSTRACT
Radiation or chemoradiation therapy was performed in 97 children with diffusely growing brainstem tumors. A reduction in the severity of neurological disorders was achieved in 92 (94.8%) patients. The course of the disease was traced in 79 patients. Control studies recorded no complete tumor regression. Following 4-8 months, there was growth resumption of a tumor with its lysis and cyst formation in most children. The principal cause of death was local tumor progression. Six-month survivors were 64 (81%) patients; one-, two-, and three-survivors were 21 (26.5%), 8 (10.1%), and 3 (7.65) patients, respectively; one (2.8%) patient survived 5 years. A combination of radiotherapy and monochemotherapy with temodal, vincristine, oncofer, and theraloc failed to improve immediate and long-term results
Subject(s)
Brain Stem Neoplasms/therapy , Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Brain Stem Neoplasms/drug therapy , Brain Stem Neoplasms/mortality , Brain Stem Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Child , Dacarbazine/analogs & derivatives , Dacarbazine/therapeutic use , Disease Progression , Humans , Temozolomide , Treatment Outcome , Vincristine/therapeutic useABSTRACT
The immediate and short-term results of radiotherapy of brain stem tumors in 24 children were evaluated. All the patients were able to sustain treatment due to adjuvant support with dehydrating and hormonal drugs, and beneficial clinical effect was recorded in 80%. However, MRT showed no decrease in tumor size. Tumor growth relapsed 3-8 months after radiotherapy. Although total dose ranged 60-72 Gy in 19 patients, there was clinical evidence of radiation injury.
