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.