Outcomes of Pediatric Low-grade Gliomas Treated With Radiation Therapy: A Single-institution Study

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Sunil Sudhir Raikar, Emory University; Donna R. Halloran, St Louis University; Michael Elliot, St Louis University; Michele McHugh, Washington University; Shaun Patel, Henry Ford Health System; Karen M. Gauvain, Washington University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-08-01
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2014 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MPH.0000000000000142
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
• ISSN: 1077-4114
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: E366
• End Page: E370
• Keywords: radiation therapy low-grade astrocytoma; TUMORS; Oncology; CHILDREN; pediatric low-grade gliomas; VINCRISTINE; CARBOPLATIN; Pediatrics; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Hematology; RADIOTHERAPY; CHEMOTHERAPY
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Oncology; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Physics, Radiation

Abstract

Radiation therapy is often considered the treatment of choice for low-grade gliomas. However, given the long-term effects of radiation on the developing brain, the appropriate use of radiation therapy in pediatric patients remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) of pediatric low-grade glioma patients treated with radiation therapy. Data were obtained through a retrospective chart review of patients treated between 1991 and 2008 from a single tertiary care center in the midwest. The study population consisted of 17 patients, of whom 8 (47%) had tumor recurrence after radiation therapy. The median follow-up time was 8.2 years, with a range of 2.3 to 17.2 years. The median age at diagnosis was 5.4 years, and the median age at radiation therapy was 9.4 years. The 3- and the 10-year PFS were 69%±11.7% and 46%±13.3%, respectively. A significant difference in PFS was seen when comparing brainstem tumors with hypothalamic/optic pathway tumors (P=0.019). Differences in PFS based on the age at diagnosis, the extent of initial surgery, and indication for radiation therapy were not significant. A larger multicenter study is needed to better assess PFS in these patients.