title: Medulloblastoma: long-term follow-up of patients treated with electron irradiation of the spinal field.
abstract: Thirty-two patients with posterior fossa medulloblastoma underwent treatment with electron irradiation to the spinal field. The 5- and 10-year actuarial survival rates were 57% and 50%, respectively. Late complications observed in the 15 patients followed up for more than 5 years were short stature (six patients), decreased sitting-standing height ratio (four patients), scoliosis (two patients), poor school performance (seven patients), xerostomia (one patient), esophageal stricture (one patient), pituitary dysfunction (four patients), primary hypothyroidism (one patient), bilateral eighth-nerve deafness (one patient), and carcinoma of the thyroid (one patient). Complications following treatment with electrons to a spinal field are compared with reported complications following treatment with photons to the spinal field. Although short-term reactions were minimal, the authors found no difference in late complications. More sophisticated treatment planning may show such a long-term benefit in the future.
authors.affiliation: London Regional Cancer Centre, Ont., Canada.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tilley-Gulliford
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Banerjee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000528:radiation effects; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004583:Electrons; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010315:Particle Accelerators; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D013131:Spine / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015996:Survival Rate