Treatment of medulloblastoma in children: long-term results following surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Forty-seven children with histologically confirmed medulloblastoma are considered. Forty-five cases were surgically by direct approach to the tumour, while two cases were treated only with a shunt. A shunt was inserted preoperatively in 14 cases, postoperatively in 4 cases. Surgical resection was total or subtotal in 52% of cases, partial in 35%, and limited to a biopsy in 13%. Radiation treatment to the entire neuraxis was done in 37 cases: 10 of these cases received additional chemotherapy--mostly with CCNU--as primary treatment for medulloblastoma. Ten patients died within 30 days after surgery. Twenty-two patients died months after treatment, mainly from tumour recurrence (19 cases). One patient was lost to follow-up. Thirteen patients are survivors from 10 months to 20 years after treatment. As a whole, the one year survival rate has been 67%, 3 year survival 43%, and 5 year survival 27%. Complications affecting prognosis have been presented by tumour recurrence and metastases. CSF shunting and lack of prophylactic irradiation to the cerebral hemispheres have been considered responsible for the high incidence of supratentorial metastases in our series. Factors influencing prognosis have been the extent of tumour resection and association of primary chemotherapy with radiotherapy. Within 3 years after surgery survival has been 52% in cases with total resection against 31% in cases with partial resection of tumour. As regards chemotherapy, 3 year survival has been 60% for patients with combined treatment (chemo- and radiotherapy) against 37% in patients with radiotherapy alone. It is concluded that the best results in children with medulloblastoma are achieved by a radical resection, associated with a combined primary treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.