Research progress in chemotherapy for childhood medulloblastoma

Abstract:

Medulloblastoma（MB） is a common tumor in the central nervous system of children. It has a poor prognosis after surgery alone and severe side effects with adjuvant radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is an important adjuvant treatment for children with MB，but there is no standard chemotherapy. Studies have shown that the standard-risk group can improve survival rate and reduce side effects through intensified chemotherapy and dose-reduced radiotherapy. In the high-risk group，children more than 3 years old can use radiotherapy and intensified chemotherapy combined with stem cell transplantation to improve survival rate. Radiotherapy should be avoided in children aged ≤3 years with MB，and prognosis can be improved by intraventricular application of methotrexate and intensified chemotherapy combined with autologous stem cell transplantation. The duration of chemotherapy is still uncertain. In this article，the application of MB chemotherapy，the timing of chemotherapy，and the sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in MB groups with different levels of risk are reviewed.