Treatment of early recurrent medulloblastoma in children with cisplatin and etoposide: a preliminary report

✍ Scribed by Hiroshi Kudo; Takashi Kokunai; Keiichi Kuwamura; Norihiko Tamaki; Hideki Sawa; Ichirou Izawa; Shoutarou Tatsumi; Seiji Hamano; Satoshi Matsumoto

• Book ID: 104711398
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 273 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0256-7040
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00298268

✦ Synopsis

The prognosis of recurrent medulloblastoma remains extremely poor. Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin (CDDP) and etoposide (VP-16) was given to five children with early recurrent medulloblastoma. As a rule, CDDP 20 mg/m2 per day and VP-16 60 mg/m2 per day were administered intravenously for 5 days. This cycle was repeated three times at 4-week intervals. After this therapy, cerebellar signs improved in one case and were unchanged in four cases. Weakness and sensory disturbance, however, improved in three of four patients. Moreover, neck and/or back pain resolved in all these four. Radiological findings improved in three cases. Myelosuppression appeared in all patients, but receded rapidly. No other significant complications were noticed. Two patients died 5 and 6 months after this therapy. These results seem to suggest that this therapy has a use in improving neurological symptoms, particularly neck and/or back pain, although its efficacy is limited.