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Cancer Newsline Story - New Possibility for Treating Pediatric Brain Cancer
November 2009
Chemotherapy, Radiation Attack Rare Choroid Plexus Tumors
A new standard treatment could improve survival nearly twofold for pediatric patients with choroid plexus tumors.
Findings from the largest collaborative study addressing the treatment of this rare pediatric brain tumor were reported Oct. 9 at the 41st annual meeting of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology.
The study, led by M. D. Anderson, began 10 years ago and has grown to include more than 100 institutions in more than 20 countries.
Significance of study
Choroid plexus carcinomas are malignant brain tumors that originate in the choroid plexus epithelium, the gland that produces cerebrospinal fluid. The tumors often block the flow of this fluid, causing pressure to build in the brain and possibly enlarge the skull.
Choroid plexus tumors affect approximately 1,500 children worldwide each year, occurring more often in infants. Because these tumors are so rare, there is no standard treatment.
“With the data we have, we can tell which patients are prone to do better and which ones have a poor prognosis,” says Johannes Wolff, M.D., professor in the Children’s Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson and lead investigator on the study. “In addition, we’ve established a promising standard protocol for these patients.”
Research method
Study participants received radiation and three chemotherapy agents:
• Carboplatinum
• Etoposide
• Cyclophosamide
Primary results
Projected overall survival rates for patients who received this treatment are:
• 93% at one year
• 82% at five years
• 78% at eight years
Additional results
One surprising finding contradicted historical research, which showed the significant advantage of complete surgical removal of the tumors. The latest study demonstrated that patients who received the intense chemotherapy treatment had outcomes similar to those who had the tumors surgically removed, suggesting the need for surgery may be reduced.
“We think the better outcomes show that physicians will prolong chemotherapy treatment if there is residual tumor,” Wolff says. “If we can prove this hypothesis, it would be an argument for extending treatment in the future.”
What’s next?
Adapted by David Berkowitz from an M. D. Anderson news release.
M. D. Anderson resources:
Additional resources: