Proton beam therapy in the management of central nervous system tumors in childhood: the preliminary experience of the Centre de Protonthérapie d'Orsay.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the study was to evaluate clinical results and complications of a combination of proton and photon irradiation administered to 17 children with selected central nervous system (CNS) tumors.


METHODS
Between July 1994 and September 2000, 17 children, aged from 5 to 17 years (median: 12 years) with intracranial benign (6 cases) or malignant (11 cases) tumors, were treated with photons (median dose: 40 Gy; 24-54) and protons (median dose: 20 CGE; 9-31) at the Centre de Protonthérapie d'Orsay (CPO).


RESULTS
Mean follow-up was 27 months (3-81). Two patients recurred locally (one marginal and one in situ). Fifteen patients are alive and doing well. Overall, 12, 24, and 36-month local control rate was 92 +/- 8% and, 12, 24, and 36-month overall survival rates were 93 +/- 6%, 83 +/- 11%, and 83 +/- 11%, respectively. Clinical initial symptoms remained stable or subsided in all patients. Early toxicities were in the expected range.


CONCLUSIONS
With a mean 27 months follow-up, protontherapy was well tolerated for doses upto 69 CGE and with an excellent local control rate.
Noel
Georges
G
Centre de Protonthérapie d'Orsay, BP 65, France. noel@ipno.in2p3.fr
Habrand
Jean-Louis
JL
Helfre
Sylvie
S
Mammar
Hamid
H
Kalifa
Chantal
C
Ferrand
Régis
R
Beaudre
Anne
A
Gaboriaud
Geneviève
G
Mazeron
Jean-Jacques
JJ
D000293:Adolescent; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011522:Protons; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D015996:Survival Rate
D011522:Protons