Getting a 'Head Start': neuropsychological functioning of young children treated for brain tumors with delayed or no cranial radiation therapy.

摘要

Brain tumors in young children present among the most daunting challenges in pediatric oncology. Not only are these tumors often aggressive and difficult to treat, but the high doses of radiotherapy used with older patients can be devastating for the young child's central nervous system, with the prospect of major lifelong impairment and impact on quality of life for those who survive. Decisions can be agonizing in these situations. For that reason, investigators have sought alternative strategies that would allow them to delay radiotherapy until the child is older and the brain less vulnerable, or ideally to treat without cranial irradiation at all. The goal of such strategies is to significantly reduce treatment-related morbidity, without sacrificing efficacy.