Untreated Childhood Medulloblastoma

Untreated childhood medulloblastoma is a tumor for which no treatment has been given. The child may have received drugs or treatment to relieve symptoms caused by the tumor.

Standard treatment of average risk childhood medulloblastoma is usually surgery and radiation therapy to the brain and spinal cord, with or without chemotherapy.

One of the treatments being studied in clinical trials for average risk medulloblastoma in children 3 years and older is surgery followed by radiation therapy (including conformal radiation therapy), with chemotherapy during and after radiation therapy.

Standard treatment of poor risk childhood medulloblastoma may include surgery followed by radiation therapy to the brain and spinal cord, with or without chemotherapy.

One of the treatments being studied in clinical trials for poor risk childhood medulloblastoma is surgery followed by radiation therapy to the brain and spinal cord, followed by high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant.

Treatment of childhood medulloblastoma in children younger than 3 years of age is usually within a clinical trial and may include the following:

• Surgery followed by chemotherapy to delay radiation therapy.
• Surgery followed by high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant.
• Chemotherapy only.
• Chemotherapy followed by conformal radiation therapy.

Information about these and other ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with untreated childhood medulloblastoma.

Recurrent Childhood Medulloblastoma

Standard treatment of recurrent childhood medulloblastoma may include surgery with or without chemotherapy and/or stereotactic radiation therapy.

Some of the treatments being studied in clinical trials for recurrent childhood medulloblastoma include the following:

• A clinical trial of surgery followed by high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant using the patient's own stem cells.
• A clinical trial of a new therapy.

Information about these and other ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent childhood medulloblastoma.