Fig. 1.

Treatment scheme. For young children, six cycles of induction chemotherapy were administered prior to HDCT/auto-SCT, consisting of alternating CECV and CEIV regimens. RT was either not administered or was deferred until after 3 years of age if the patient achieved complete response after tandem HDCT/auto-SCT. Use of RT was determined according to the tumor status at the time of diagnosis. For older children, two cycles of pre-RT and four cycles of post-RT chemotherapy were administered during the early study period. During the late study period when RT was administered after surgery, six cycles of post-RT chemotherapy were administered. The regimens for the first and second HDCT/auto-SCT were CTE and CM, respectively. HDCT/auto-SCT, high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation; CECV, carboplatin+etoposide+ cyclophosphamide+vincristine; CEIV, carboplatin+etoposide+ifosfamide+vincristine; RT, radiotherapy; CSRT, craniospinal RT; L-RT, local RT; Dx, diagnosis; CTE, carboplatin+thiotepa+etoposide; CM, cyclophosphamide+melphalan.