Assessment of the long-term effects of primary radiation therapy for brain tumors in children.
One-hundred-twelve children with primary brain tumors received definitive radiotherapy between the years 1958--1979. Sixty-nine patients were alive at intervals of 1--21 years. Thirty-eight patients underwent neurologic and endocrine evaluation, psychologic and intelligence testing, and assessement for second malignancy post-treatment. A second intracranial malignancy developed in one child, for an incidence of 1.6%. Performance status was good to excellent in 89% of the patients studied. Seventeen percent of the group were mentally retarded. Behavioral disorders were identified in 39% of the patients, 59% of the mothers, and 43% of the fathers. Of the 23 patients with nonparasellar tumors, six were found to have growth hormone deficiency, including two patients with panhypopituitarism. Disability was related to age under 3 years at the time of treatment and tumor extension to the hypothalamus.
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004702:Endocrine Glands; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000209:etiology*; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors