All 11 children who presented since 1976 in Cardiff, Wales with medulloblastoma and who had survived at least 5 years were reviewed neurologically. Current ages ranged from 10 - 24 years. Surgical removal was complete in 6. All received radiotherapy. Nine had additional chemotherapy. Mild cerebellar ataxia was present in 10, and external ocular movement abnormalities in 2. Signs attributable to therapy were optic atrophy in 2, fine motor incoordination in 2, dyspraxia in 7 and dementia in 1. Epilepsy occurred in 2. Only 1 patient who presented at 13 years was free of neurologic consequences of therapy. Only 2 attended grade school, and only 3 are gainfully employed. [1]
COMMENT. Detection of tumor occurrence by surveillance scanning in children with medulloblastoma is reported from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Surveillance brain scans failed to detect recurrent disease in most patients and had virtually no impact on outcome. Follow-up should emphasize parent education and neurologic evaluation to detect relapse and to elicit and remediate late effects of therapy. [2]
The antineoplastic effects of gallium nitrate on human medulloblastoma in vivo are reported from the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI [3]. Mice injected intradermally with medulloblastoma Daoy cell line developed tumors. Gallium nitrate treatment reduced tumor growth rate and tumor size, but the animals suffered nephrotoxicity.