Improving the therapeutic ratio of craniospinal irradiation in medulloblastoma
Radiation therapy delivered to the entire cerebrospinal axis is indicated for a number of pediatric brain tumors, especially medulloblastoma. Improved radiotherapy techniques have changed the near fatal prognosis for children with medulloblastoma to a 50%, 5-year survival. Nevertheless, the treatment results in substantial acute toxicity, and many survivors have serious sequelae. Refinements in radiotherapy technique, however, can improve the therapeutic ratio of the treatment by lowering its side effects. In the last year children who required craniospinal irradiation at M.D. Anderson Hospital were treated with 6 MV photons to the brain and primary tumor and with 15-17 MeV electrons to the spinal canal. The elective dose to the whole brain was 30 Gy in 17 fractions and 30 Gy in 20 fractions to the spine. The primary tumor received an additional 20-25 Gy. An electron-beam dose distribution was drawn on a computerized tomography (CT) reconstructed sagittal plane. The treatment was well tolerated in the first five patients. It is projected that the current technique will cause fewer late effects and improve the tolerance to chemotherapy.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston
- OSTI ID:
- 5436467
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8402151-; TRN: 85-020447
- Journal Information:
- Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 11:4; Conference: 6. annual Robert E. Gross lectureship, Houston, TX, USA, 16 Feb 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
NEOPLASMS
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
SPINAL CORD
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
THYROID
CHILDREN
COBALT 60
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
ELECTRON BEAMS
GAMMA RADIATION
HARD X RADIATION
PATIENTS
AGE GROUPS
BEAMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
COBALT ISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LEPTON BEAMS
MEDICINE
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PARTICLE BEAMS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
THERAPY
TOMOGRAPHY
X RADIATION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man
550602 - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)