Current Clinical Trials

Although medulloepithelioma and ependymoblastoma identified as histologically discrete tumors within the World Health Organization classification system, there are few data on which to base treatment for these embryonal tumors.[1] Both tumors are rare and tend to arise most commonly in infants and young children. Dissemination may occur, and the tumors are staged in the same way as medulloblastoma. Treatment considerations are usually the same as those for children with poor-risk medulloblastoma and for children 3 years and younger at diagnosis with other embryonal tumors. Prognosis is poor, with 5-year survival rates ranging between 0% and 30%.[2,3]

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with childhood ependymoblastoma ¹ and childhood medulloepithelioma ². The list of clinical trials can be further narrowed by location, drug, intervention, and other criteria.

General information about clinical trials is also available from the NCI Web site ³.

References

1. Kleihues P, Cavenee WK, eds.: Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of the Nervous System. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2000. 
   
   
2. Marec-Berard P, Jouvet A, Thiesse P, et al.: Supratentorial embryonal tumors in children under 5 years of age: an SFOP study of treatment with postoperative chemotherapy alone. Med Pediatr Oncol 38 (2): 83-90, 2002.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
3. Mason WP, Grovas A, Halpern S, et al.: Intensive chemotherapy and bone marrow rescue for young children with newly diagnosed malignant brain tumors. J Clin Oncol 16 (1): 210-21, 1998.  [PUBMED Abstract]