The therapeutic outcome of medulloblastoma in 49 children

The medical records of 63 patients with histologically-confirmed medulloblastoma were reviewed. From these, the clinical features and treatment outcome of 49 patients were available for analysis. Following tumor resections, 44 patients were given craniospinal radiation therapy with local boosts to the posterior fossa and other macroscopically involved areas. Twenty patients received chemotherapy: 17 as postoperative adjuvant or salvage therapies, and 3 as preradiation chemotherapy. The postoperative early death occurred in two patients. The projected 5-year survival and recurrence-free survival rate of the overall group and the 41 patients who had completed radiotherapy were 61%, 70% and 50%, 57%, respectively. Two significant favorable factors were identified: complete tumor resection and combination radiotherapy. A better five-year survival rate was found in patients who had complete tumor resection (78% vs 19%); with combination radiotherapy the rate was 70% vs 0%.