Current Clinical Trials

Recurrence is not uncommon and may develop many years after initial treatment.[1] Disease may recur at the primary tumor site or by cerebrospinal fluid dissemination. Sites of noncontiguous relapse may include the spinal leptomeninges, intracranial sites, and cerebrospinal fluid, in isolation, or in any combination, and is variably associated with primary tumor site relapse. Approximately 60% of patients with localized disease at diagnosis will have some component of disseminated disease at relapse, even after 36 Gy of craniospinal radiation therapy.[2] Extraneural disease relapse may occur, but is rare (1% to 2% of relapses), and is primarily reported in patients who were treated with radiation therapy alone.[2] Systemic relapse is rare, but may occur. At time of relapse, a complete evaluation for extent of recurrence is indicated for all malignant tumors and, at times, for more benign lesions. Biopsy or surgical resection may be necessary for confirmation of relapse because other entities such as secondary tumor and treatment-related brain necrosis may be clinically indistinguishable from tumor recurrence. The need for surgical intervention must be individualized on the basis of the initial tumor type, the length of time between initial treatment and the reappearance of the lesion, and the clinical picture. Patients with recurrent medulloblastoma may be candidates for salvage chemotherapy and/or stereotactic irradiation,[3] although long-term disease control is rare.[4-6] Entry into studies of novel therapeutic approaches including high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell rescue at the time of relapse after radiation therapy alone or radiation therapy and chemotherapy should be considered.[7-9] Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site ¹.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent childhood medulloblastoma 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. Jenkin D, Greenberg M, Hoffman H, et al.: Brain tumors in children: long-term survival after radiation treatment. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 31 (3): 445-51, 1995.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
2. Taylor RE, Bailey CC, Robinson K, et al.: Results of a randomized study of preradiation chemotherapy versus radiotherapy alone for nonmetastatic medulloblastoma: The International Society of Paediatric Oncology/United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group PNET-3 Study. J Clin Oncol 21 (8): 1581-91, 2003.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
3. Abe M, Tokumaru S, Tabuchi K, et al.: Stereotactic radiation therapy with chemotherapy in the management of recurrent medulloblastomas. Pediatr Neurosurg 42 (2): 81-8, 2006.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
4. Cangir A, van Eys J, Berry DH, et al.: Combination chemotherapy with MOPP in children with recurrent brain tumors. Med Pediatr Oncol 4 (3): 253-61, 1978.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
5. Friedman HS, Oakes WJ: The chemotherapy of posterior fossa tumors in childhood. J Neurooncol 5 (3): 217-29, 1987.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
6. Needle MN, Molloy PT, Geyer JR, et al.: Phase II study of daily oral etoposide in children with recurrent brain tumors and other solid tumors. Med Pediatr Oncol 29 (1): 28-32, 1997.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
7. Gaynon PS, Ettinger LJ, Baum ES, et al.: Carboplatin in childhood brain tumors. A Children's Cancer Study Group Phase II trial. Cancer 66 (12): 2465-9, 1990.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
8. Gentet JC, Doz F, Bouffet E, et al.: Carboplatin and VP 16 in medulloblastoma: a phase II Study of the French Society of Pediatric Oncology (SFOP). Med Pediatr Oncol 23 (5): 422-7, 1994.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
9. Dunkel IJ, Boyett JM, Yates A, et al.: High-dose carboplatin, thiotepa, and etoposide with autologous stem-cell rescue for patients with recurrent medulloblastoma. Children's Cancer Group. J Clin Oncol 16 (1): 222-8, 1998.  [PUBMED Abstract]