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Survival and late effects on development of patients with infantile brain tumor
Yuko Nomura1, Sawa Yasumoto, Fumio Yanai
1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 45-1, 7-chome Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan. yuko-nomura@mvj.biglobe.ne.jp
Insights
Infantile brain tumors have a poor prognosis, with most infants experiencing significant developmental delays or mortality. Survivors of these rare childhood cancers require extensive long-term medical and social support.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neuro-oncology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Infantile brain tumors are rare and often associated with poor prognosis.
- Early-onset brain tumors significantly impact infant survival and long-term development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively analyze survival and developmental outcomes in infants diagnosed with brain tumors before one year of age.
- To evaluate the long-term effects of various treatment modalities on mental and physical development.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 11 infants diagnosed with brain tumors under 1 year of age.
- Histological diagnoses included astrocytoma, pineocytoma, teratoma, ependymoma, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor, glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, and choroid plexus papilloma.
- Treatments involved surgical resection, adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Main Results:
- Six out of 11 patients survived, with five experiencing long-term remission without active treatment.
- Five survivors had mental retardation; one had normal development post-surgery.
- Diencephalic syndrome and abnormal weight gain were observed in some survivors.
Conclusions:
- The prognosis for infantile brain tumors remains poor regarding both mortality and developmental outcomes.
- Survivors necessitate comprehensive, long-term medical and social support systems.
Background:
Most infants with brain tumor may have a poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively analyze the survival and outcome with regard to mental and physical development in 11 subjects with brain tumor; these tumors were diagnosed when the patients were under 1 year of age.
Methods:
The histological diagnoses of these tumors were astrocytoma, n = 3; pineocytoma, n = 2; teratoma, n = 1; ependymoma, n = 1; atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor, n = 1; glioblastoma, n = 1; medulloblastoma, n = 1; and choroid plexus papilloma, n = 1. Surgical resection was performed in eight patients, and adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to all except one patient with choroid plexus papilloma. Radiotherapy was additionally performed for four of the 10 chemotherapy patients.
Results:
Six patients survived. Among the surviving patients, five were under no treatment for 50-167 months after the diagnosis (median duration, 89 months), while one received chemotherapy for 20 months. Five patients exhibited mental retardation, and one patient experienced normal development after surgical removal of his choroid plexus papilloma. Diencephalic syndrome developed in one patient with pilomyxoid astrocytoma that necessitated hormone replacement therapy, and bodyweight over +2 SD was observed in two patients. The remaining five patients died 11-111 months after diagnosis (median duration, 24 months).
Conclusion:
The prognosis of infantile brain tumor with regard to mortality and developmental outcome remains poor. Furthermore, survivors require comprehensive medical and social support for an extended period.
