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 ¹ section in the Classification ² section of this summary for more information. Refer to the PDQ summary on Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment ³ 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 ⁴. 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 ⁵.

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]