title: Optimizing craniospinal radiotherapy delivery in a pediatric patient affected by supratentorial PNET: a case report.
abstract: New advances in radiation therapy for children allow increased conformability and reduced doses to non-target tissues. We report our experience in treating a 4-year-old child with craniospinal tomotherapy after surgery of the primary tumor, a supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor. The tomotherapy plan was compared with conventional craniospinal irradiation, 3D conformal radiation therapy, and intensity-modulated radiation therapy plans. The possible disadvantages of tomotherapy related to the radiation dose to organs at risk, treatment planning, and anesthesia should be carefully considered as the use of the technique is not suggested in a general manner, but selectively, in critical pediatric radiotherapy cases.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Radiotherapy Unit, Centro di Riferimento [corrected] Oncologico, National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy. mascarin@cro.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascarin
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drigo
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dassie
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gigante
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franchin
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sartor
authors.forename: Mauro G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Trovò
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D016371:Cranial Irradiation; D006801:Humans; D018242:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000528:radiation effects*; D015173:Supratentorial Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*