Follow-up of children with brain tumors

✍ Scribed by Frederick P. Li; Ken R. Winston; Kathreen Gimbrere Ba

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 459 KB
• Volume: 54
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19840701)54:1<135::aid-cncr2820540127>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

One hundred two patients were evaluated for late effects of brain tumor in childhood by a medical record review and follow-up questionnaire. The patients had survived brain tumor for 5 to 47 years (median, 18 years). Among 30 patients who had received brain irradiation, 3 were successfully treated for second neoplasms that developed within the radiotherapy field 11,16, and 29, years later, respectively. Moderate or severe functional deficits were present in 24 patients (24%), more commonly among those treated before 2 years of age and among those with cerebral astrocytoma. The other 78 patients (76%) had mild or no gross deficits, and all but 1 of them were attending school or were employed. Twenty-one patients in the series reported a total of 41 offspring, none of whom had cancer or mental retardation. Although markedly diverse performance levels were found among the 102 long-term survivors of childhood brain tumors, the majority had an acceptable quality of life.