Early outcome after craniospinal irradiation with pencil beam scanning proton therapy for children, adolescents and young adults with brain tumors

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the most common solid malignancies in children and adolescents and young adults (C‐AYAs). Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is an essential treatment component for some malignancies, but it can also lead to important toxicity. Pencil beam scanning proton therapy (PBSPT) allows for a minimization of dose delivered to organs at risk and, thus, potentially reduced acute and late toxicity. This study aims to report the clinical outcomes and toxicity rates after CSI for C‐AYAs treated with PBSPT. Seventy‐one C‐AYAs (median age: 7.4 years) with CNS tumors were treated with CSI between 2004 and 2021. Medulloblastoma (n = 42: 59%) and ependymoma (n = 8; 11%) were the most common histologies. Median prescribed total PBSPT dose was 54 GyRBE (range: 18–60.4), and median prescribed craniospinal dose was 24 GyRBE (range: 18–36.8). Acute and late toxicities were coded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. After a median follow‐up of 24.5 months, the estimated 2‐year local control, distant control, and overall survival were 86.3%, 80.5%, and 84.7%, respectively. Late grade ≥3 toxicity‐free rate was 92.6% at 2 years. Recurrent and metastatic tumors were associated with worse outcome. In conclusion, excellent tumor control with low toxicity rates was observed in C‐AYAs with brain tumors treated with CSI using PBSPT.