Bulletin du cancer
-
Craniospinal irradiation is the gold standard treatment used in non metastatic medulloblastoma as prophylaxis against central nervous system (CNS) metastases. However, given the severe late effects caused by this procedure in children under 3 years of age, most pediatric oncologists are currently treating these patients with conventional chemotherapy in order to postpone or even avoid irradiation. In the French Society of Pediatric Oncology (SFOP) this attitude has been adopted since 1990. ⋯ One complication-related death occurred 1 month post BMT. With a 75% response rate, this HDC proved to be very efficient in relapsed medulloblastoma. A longer follow-up is necessary to demonstrate whether, after a local relapse, HDC could replace craniospinal irradiation as prophylaxis against CNS metastases.