Radiation Therapy Plus Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Children With Medulloblastoma

Summary

RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which chemotherapy regimen is more effective when combined with radiation therapy for treating medulloblastoma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare two combination chemotherapy treatments plus radiation therapy in treating children with newly diagnosed medulloblastoma.

Timeline

Start

1996-12

Primary completion

2006-02

Completion

2011-01

Publications

• Background Turgut M. Cerebellar mutism. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2008 Mar;1(3):262. doi: 10.3171/PED/2008/1/3/262.
• Background Robertson PL, Muraszko KM, Holmes EJ, Sposto R, Packer RJ, Gajjar A, Dias MS, Allen JC; Children's Oncology Group. Incidence and severity of postoperative cerebellar mutism syndrome in children with medulloblastoma: a prospective study by the Children's Oncology Group. J Neurosurg. 2006 Dec;105(6 Suppl):444-51. doi: 10.3171/ped.2006.105.6.444.
• Results Packer RJ, Gajjar A, Vezina G, Rorke-Adams L, Burger PC, Robertson PL, Bayer L, LaFond D, Donahue BR, Marymont MH, Muraszko K, Langston J, Sposto R. Phase III study of craniospinal radiation therapy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for newly diagnosed average-risk medulloblastoma. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Sep 1;24(25):4202-8. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2006.06.4980.
• Results Packer RJ, Gajjar A, Vezina G, et al.: 2340 cGy of craniospinal radiotherapy (CSRT) plus chemotherapy for children with "average-risk" medulloblastoma (MB): a prospective randomized Children's Oncology Group study (A9961). [Abstract] Neuro-Oncology 6 (4): TP-06, 387, 2004.

Drugs

Indications