title: Early response and long-term results in the radiotherapy of childhood medulloblastoma.
abstract: Outcome results of 23 patients with childhood medulloblastomas were analyzed in relation to radiation technique and survival. No failures were noted when radiation dose of 5 400 rad was used; whereas none survived in the sub-group treated with less than 4 000 rad. The prognosis in the very young age group, less than three years old, was worse compared to the older child with a tendency to advanced disease at presentation. Quality of life in all survivors was satisfactory and long-term sequelae were surprisingly minimal in all aspects of physical, mental, and intellectual developments. Vertebral growth disturbance and short stature were the major late sequellae of successful radiotherapy.
mesh_terms: D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000150:complications; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*