RO-15CHALLENGES FOR SENDING PATIENTS WITH MEDULLOBLASTOMA FOR PROTON RADIOTHERAPY ABROAD

Low early ototoxicity rates for pediatric medulloblastoma patients treated with proton radiotherapy

BACKGROUND Hearing loss is common following chemoradiotherapy for children with medulloblastoma. Compared to photons, proton radiotherapy reduces radiation dose to the cochlea for these patients. Here we examine whether this dosimetric advantage leads to a clinical benefit in audiometric outcomes. METHODS From 2006-2009, 23 children treated with proton radiotherapy for medulloblastoma were en...

Proton beam therapy for medulloblastoma.

It is heartening to read a report of good functional outcomes following proton beam therapy in young patients with medulloblastoma, including the absence of many unpleasant side eff ects that can occur after conventional photon therapy. The authors quote UK research, which criticises the current proton therapy treatment policy of dividing the x-ray (photon) equivalent dose by 1·1. This is done ...

Proton therapy for paediatric medulloblastoma.

Radiation oncology has changed greatly in recent decades, driven mainly by technical advances in treatment planning and delivery. Proton radiation therapy is a further advance; however, it is more expensive than traditional photon therapy and its critics argue that its costs are not justifi ed. Proton therapy is distinct from traditional photon or x-ray-based therapy since the physical properti...

Postoperative radiotherapy for paediatric medulloblastoma.

www.thelancet.com/oncology Published online August 11, 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30390-4 1 The proportion of children with medulloblastoma receiving deferred postoperative radiotherapy more than tripled in the USA from 2004 to 2012, according to new research. Benjamin Kann (Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA) and colleagues examined the records of 816 pati...

Proton beam therapy for medulloblastoma - Author's reply.