Long-term neuroanatomical effects of germ cell tumors after cranial radiation therapy

摘要

As improved treatments have increased survival rates for pediatric brain tumor patients, there is an urgent needto study the long-term sequelae of treatment. Central nervous system (CNS) germ cell tumors constitute a formof neoplasm that is normally treated with chemotherapy and/or cranial radiation therapy (CRT). Starting froman MRI dataset of patients with such tumors at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, we aim to understand themorphological effects of CRT on brain structures. The current study examines the long-term effects of radiationdosage on the brainstem, corpus callosum, and ventricles post- radiation therapy. The results of the analysisshowed a significant association among brain structure areas and radiation dosage received. These preliminaryfindings point to deleterious effects of radiation treatment on brain anatomy.