title: Childhood cerebellar astrocytomas: is there a role for postoperative irradiation?
abstract: Eighty children with astrocytomas of the cerebellum were treated at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri from 1928-1980. The most important predictor of recurrence was completeness of surgical removal. Of 40 patients whose tumors were totally removed, only one recurred (2.5%). Forty cases were subtotally removed and 14 subsequently recurred (35%). Postoperative irradiation did not significantly improve survival in the patients with incompletely excised tumors; however, there was lack of uniformity in the radiation therapy. Although a survival advantage could not be demonstrated, there was a trend toward a lowering of the recurrence rates in patients with subtotally excised solid tumors who received radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Latifi
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kliefoth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology