Prognostic factors and outcome of pineoblastoma: 10 years single-center experience

The survival of pineoblastoma patients is low, particularly in infants and those with metastatic disease. This study aimed to analyze the prognostic factors affecting the outcome of Pineoblastoma in different age groups.

A retrospective study included 33 patients. Twenty-two patients older than 3 years had upfront surgery, followed by induction CSI then 6 cycles of chemotherapy. Eleven patients younger than 3 years underwent surgery, followed by induction chemotherapy then radiation therapy. Focal irradiation (54 Gy) was administrated in six patients, and CSI (23.4 Gy) with booster dose 30.6 Gy to the tumor bed in two patients followed by 4 cycles of chemotherapy.

Patient's age showed a significant impact on the outcome (P value = 0.001 for EFS and 0.002 for OS). The metastases' presence did not impact the outcome negatively. The survival of patients with metastatic disease did not differ between age groups. However, age had a significant impact on the outcome of M0 disease, with 3-year EFS and OS of 65.3% and 74%, respectively, in the older group compared to 0% for both rates in younger patients. CSI showed a positive impact on survival. For all cases, the 3-year OS and EFS were 46.7% and 44.4%, respectively.

A multimodality approach is needed to treat this aggressive disease. Inadequate dose intensity affected our patients' outcome negatively. A more aggressive approach using high-dose chemotherapy or CSI may be required to improve infantile pineoblastoma's dismal outcome. Focal radiotherapy is not an efficacious treatment in infants due to its high-metastatic potential. Molecular typing should be considered to label patients who need a more intensified approach.