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Hypofractionated radiotherapy in the treatment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in children: a single institution's experience.

Abstract
We report herein our institutional experience in the treatment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) with a hypofractionated external-beam radiotherapy schedule. Between April 1996 and January 2004, 22 patients (age 2.9-12.5 years) with newly diagnosed DIPG were treated by hypofractionated radiation therapy delivering a total dose of 45 Gy in daily fractions of 3 Gy, given over 3 weeks. No other treatment was applied concomitantly. Fourteen of the 22 patients received the prescribed dose of 45 Gy in 15 fractions of 3 Gy, and 2 patients received a total dose of 60 and 45 Gy with a combination of two different beams (photons and neutrons). In five cases the daily fraction was modified to 2 Gy due to intolerance, and one patient died due to serious intracranial hypertension after two fractions of 3 Gy and one of 2 Gy. Among 22 children, 14 patients showed clinical improvement, usually starting in the second week of treatment. No grade 3 or 4 acute toxicity from radiotherapy was observed. No treatment interruption was needed. In six patients, steroids could be discontinued within 1 month after the end of radiotherapy. Median time to progression and median overall survival were 5.7 months and 7.6 months, respectively. External radiotherapy with a radical hypofractionated regimen is feasible and well tolerated in children with newly diagnosed DIPG. However, this regimen does not seem to change overall survival in this setting. It could represent a short-duration alternative to more protracted regimens.
AuthorsLaura Negretti, Karim Bouchireb, Christine Levy-Piedbois, Jean Louis Habrand, Frederic Dhermain, Chantal Kalifa, Jacques Grill, Christelle Dufour
JournalJournal of neuro-oncology (J Neurooncol) Vol. 104 Issue 3 Pg. 773-7 (Sep 2011) ISSN: 1573-7373 [Electronic] United States
PMID21327862 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
Chemical References
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Topics
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones (therapeutic use)
  • Brain Stem Neoplasms (drug therapy, radiotherapy)
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dose Fractionation, Radiation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Pons (drug effects, pathology)
  • Retrospective Studies

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