Current Clinical Trials

Medulloblastoma occurs primarily in children, but it also occurs with some frequency in adults.[1] Other embryonal tumors are pediatric conditions. (Refer to the Embryonal Tumors section in the Classification section of this summary for more information. Refer to the PDQ summaries on Childhood Medulloblastoma Treatment; Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Pineoblastoma Treatment [which also covers ependymoblastomas]; and Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment for more information.)

Standard treatment options:

• Surgery plus craniospinal radiation therapy for good-risk patients.[2-4]

Treatment options under clinical evaluation:

• Surgery plus craniospinal radiation therapy for poor-risk patients. Various chemotherapy programs are also being evaluated.[4,5]

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with adult medulloblastoma. 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.

References

1. Brandes AA, Ermani M, Amista P, et al.: The treatment of adults with medulloblastoma: a prospective study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 57 (3): 755-61, 2003.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
2. Levin VA, Vestnys PS, Edwards MS, et al.: Improvement in survival produced by sequential therapies in the treatment of recurrent medulloblastoma. Cancer 51 (8): 1364-70, 1983.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
3. Carrie C, Lasset C, Alapetite C, et al.: Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors in adult patients with medulloblastoma. Retrospective study of 156 patients. Cancer 74 (8): 2352-60, 1994.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
4. Brandes AA, Franceschi E, Tosoni A, et al.: Long-term results of a prospective study on the treatment of medulloblastoma in adults. Cancer 110 (9): 2035-41, 2007.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
5. Allen JC, Bloom J, Ertel I, et al.: Brain tumors in children: current cooperative and institutional chemotherapy trials in newly diagnosed and recurrent disease. Semin Oncol 13 (1): 110-22, 1986.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   

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