title: Intracystic treatments for craniopharyngioma.
abstract: Craniopharyngioma is a benign tumor histopathologically and in theory should be curable by radical resection. In practice, this tumor behaves like a chronic disease, with many issues related to the effect of the tumor itself and the various treatments on the adjacent structures, such as the pituitary stalk and gland, hypothalamus, visual apparatus, and suprasellar arteries. A multimodality approach to the management of these tumors may produce the optimal outcome, balancing disease control and quality of life. In this paper, the role of intracystic therapies is reviewed, with the major focus on intracystic bleomycin and interferon-alpha.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. psteinbok@cw.bc.ca
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steinbok
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hukin
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D001761:Bleomycin