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Prolonged response to carboplatin in an infant with brain stem glioma
Author(s) -
Zeltzer P. M.,
Epport K.,
Nelson M. D.,
Huff K.,
Gay P.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19910101)67:1<43::aid-cncr2820670109>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - medicine , carboplatin , radiation therapy , astrocytoma , glioma , magnetic resonance imaging , oncology , chemotherapy , neuropsychology , surgery , radiology , pediatrics , cisplatin , psychiatry , cognition , cancer research
Adults and children with brain stem gliomas have a mean survival time of 15 months after radiation therapy (XRT). Infants with this tumor present additional complexities for treatment because of possible neurotoxicity of the radiation to the developing brain. We report a 15‐month‐old child with biopsy‐proven brain stem glioma with clinical and radiographic evidence of disease progression. She was treated with 24 monthly courses of carboplatin without radiation therapy and has had a 39+ month response. The clinical response started after 3 months and the radiographic evidence was documented at 10 months by magnetic resonance imaging. The toxicity was minimal. Longitudinal neuropsychological assessment demonstrated continued improvement at 36 months post diagnosis but with some motor functioning below expected age levels. Cervico‐medullary astrocytoma in a young patient may be the appropriate clinical setting for future trials of chemotherapy without XRT.