Short Course Radiation Therapy for the Palliative Treatment of Recurrent Brain Cancer or Brain Metastases in Pediatric Patients
This clinical trial studies the side effects of a shorter course of radiation therapy (RT) and whether it can be used as palliative treatment in pediatric patients with brain cancer that has come back after a period of improvement (recurrent) or any cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to the brain (brain metastases). Palliative treatment is used to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in patients with cancer that cannot be cured. RT uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Standard palliative RT regimens for pediatric patients with brain cancer or brain metastases consists of daily radiation treatments that last for two weeks or more. This longer time frame goes against the primary goal of palliative RT, which is to maximize quality of life and time at home. In this trial, the radiation therapy will be delivered over a shorter course of just five days, which may improve quality of life by reducing the amount of time spent undergoing RT. Short course RT may be a safe, tolerable, and/or effective way to palliatively treat recurrent brain cancer or brain metastases in pediatric patients.