Table 2.
Diagnostic and treatment details for brain tumor groups.
| Variable | Local group (n = 10) |
CSR group (n = 12) |
|---|---|---|
| Age at diagnosis (years) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 9.59 (3.62) | 9.32 (2.69) |
| Range | 5.77–15.63 | 5.96–15.26 |
| Time between diagnosis and first testing (months) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 3.55 (1.07) | 3.19 (2.38) |
| Range | 2.17–5.29 | 0.79–8.28 |
| Tumor type (%) | ||
| Medulloblastoma | 0 (0%) | 12 (100%) |
| Astrocytoma | 6 (60%) | 0 (0%) |
| Ependymoma | 3 (30%) | 0 (0%) |
| Choroid plexus papilloma (4th ventricle) | 1 (10%) | 0 (0%) |
| Tumor location | ||
| Vermis | 3 (30%) | 6 (50%) |
| 4th Ventricle | 2 (20%) | 3 (25%) |
| Cerebellar hemisphere | 2 (20%) | 2 (17%) |
| Posterior fossa – unspecifieda | 3 (30%) | 1 (8%) |
| Tumor size (mm2)b | ||
| Mean (SD) | 1946 (1021) | 1667 (940) |
| Range | 700–3360 | 12–2800 |
| Number of surgeries (%) | ||
| One | 8 (80%) | 10 (83%) |
| Two | 2 (20%) | 1 (8%) |
| Three | 0 (0%) | 1 (8%) |
| Surgery outcomes (%) | ||
| >95% of tumor resected | 7 (70%) | 8 (73%) |
| 50–95% of tumor resected | 1 (10%) | 1 (9%) |
| Biopsy only | 2 (20%) | 2 (18%) |
| Radiation dose, cGy | ||
| Mean cranial-spinal dose (SD) | – | 2550 (490) |
| Range | – | 2340–3600 |
| Mean cranial-spinal dose plus PF boost (SD) | – | 5563 (54) |
| Range | – | 5400–5580 |
| Mean focal dose (SD) | 5940 (0) | 3240 (0) |
| Range | 5940 | 3240 |
| Chemotherapy (%) | ||
| Yes | 1 (11%) | 12 (100%) |
| No | 8 (89%) | 0 (0%) |
| Hydrocephalus (%) | ||
| No hydrocephalus | 1 (17%) | 3 (27%) |
| Hydrocephalus with no treatment | 2 (33%) | 1 (9%) |
| Hydrocephalus treated with external ventricular drain, shunt, or ventriculostomy | 3 (50%) | 7 (64%) |
| Number of post-operative complications (%) | ||
| No complications | 3 (33%) | 1 (10%) |
| One complication | 2 (22%) | 1 (10%) |
| Two or more complications | 4 (44%) | 8 (80%) |
| Type of post-operative complications (%) | ||
| Visual | 4 (44%) | 5 (50%) |
| Motor | 4 (44%) | 7 (70%) |
| Speech | 1 (11%) | 0 (0%) |
| Cerebellar mutism syndrome | 0 (0%) | 4 (40%) |
Note. Sample sizes vary as details were not available for all patients. Children with astrocytoma or choroid plexus papilloma were treated with surgery only, 2 ependymoma patients received focal radiation, and one ependymoma patient received focal radiation and chemotherapy. Children with medulloblastoma were treated with chemotherapy and cranial-spinal radiation, including a reduced radiation dose to the head and spine and a focal boost to the tumor bed. Chemotherapy agents included cisplatin, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide.
The specific location of these PF tumors was not identified in medical records.
Tumor size was defined by the largest size (in mm) in 2 dimensions of the MRI scans; this presents the number as mm2.