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Adult Brain Tumors Treatment (PDQ®)
Patient Version   Health Professional Version   En español   Last Modified: 01/02/2009



Purpose of This PDQ Summary






General Information






Classification






Treatment Option Overview






Brain Stem Gliomas






Pineal Astrocytic Tumors






Pilocytic Astrocytomas






Diffuse Astrocytomas






Anaplastic Astrocytomas






Glioblastoma






Oligodendroglial Tumors






Mixed Gliomas






Ependymal Tumors






Embryonal Cell Tumors: Medulloblastoma






Pineal Parenchymal Tumors






Meningeal Tumors






Germ Cell Tumors






Tumors of the Sellar Region: Craniopharyngioma






Recurrent Brain Tumors






Metastatic Brain Tumors






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Changes to This Summary (01/02/2009)






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Embryonal Cell Tumors: Medulloblastoma

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 summary on 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]
Current Clinical Trials

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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