Abstract
BACKGROUND
The brain tumor has a highest mortality rate among childhood malignant tumors. Development of peripheral blood stem cell transplant combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy improved the survival rate of patients with pediatric brain tumor drastically late years. Because of its complicated treatment plan, neurosurgeons cannot readily manage these aggressive therapies which require minute whole body control including prevention of lethal infection due to bone marrow suppression. Even if such treatment is effective and patient survives, the aftereffects may reduce patient’s QOL.
PURPOSE
We report outcomes of the patients with CNS tumor after multimodality treatment. In addition, we introduce the activity contents by the in-hospital children brain tumor multi-disciplinary medical treatment team organized in March 2016.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 29 patients (under 15 years old) diagnosed as CNS tumors with total of 43 tumor surgeries between January 2001 and December 2019.
RESULTS
The histopathological diagnoses were 7 germ cell tumor, 7 astrocytic tumor, 4 ependymal tumor, 4 medulloblastoma, 2 craniopharyngioma, 2 AT/RT and 3 others. The mean age at first surgery was 7.4 y.o. (range: 0.3–14.8). Both chemotherapy and radiation therapy were performed in 22 cases out of 29. There were 15 survivors (11 ambulant, 3 W/C, 1 bedridden), 12 deaths, 2 lost follow-ups. Mean follow-up period was 66 months (range: 1–206).
CONCLUSION
To improve outcomes, we hold on a regular basis of team meeting, discuss treatment plan, and share information. Recently, we also care issues of the patients, such as fertility and palliative medicine.
Mapping of long-term cognitive and motor deficits in pediatric cerebellar brain tumor survivors into a cerebellar white matter atlas