MEDULLOBLASTOMA

Course overview

WHILE LEUKEMIAS ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF MALIGNANCY AFFECTING THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION, BRAIN TUMORS ARE THE MOST COMMON SOLID TUMORS IN THIS POPULATION. MEDULLOBLASTOMA IS THE MOST COMMON MALIGNANT BRAIN TUMOR IN CHILDREN, CONSTITUTING NEARLY 20 PERCENT OF ALL PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS. IT IS CATEGORIZED AS AN EMBRYONAL NEUROEPITHELIAL TUMOR OF THE CEREBELLUM. SURGICAL RESECTION FOLLOWED BY RADIATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY ARE THE MAINSTAY OF THERAPY, WITH FIVE-YEAR SURVIVAL RATES RANGING BETWEEN 20 AND 100 PERCENT. THIS WIDE RANGE IS MULTIFACTORIAL, OWING IN PART TO AGE AT DIAGNOSIS, PRESENCE OF METASTASES AT DIAGNOSIS, SUBGROUP VARIANT OF MEDULLOBLASTOMA, AND CONCURRENT CYTOGENETIC ABNORMALITIES INCLUDING COPY-NUMBER VARIATIONS. REGARDLESS OF LONG-TERM SURVIVAL, TREATMENT-RELATED COGNITIVE, NEUROLOGIC, AND ENDOCRINOLOGIC EFFECTS REMAIN A DEBILITATING CONCERN AND AN IMPETUS FOR RESEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH MEDULLOBLASTOMA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED CHILDREN.