ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY OF CHILDHOOD POSTERIOR-FOSSA EPENDYMOMA - CRANIOSPINAL IRRADIATION WITH OR WITHOUT ADJUVANT CCNU, VINCRISTINE, AND PREDNISONE - A CHILDRENS CANCER GROUP-STUDY

In 1975, members of The Children's Cancer Group (CCG) initiated a tria l for patients with infratentorial medulloblastomas and ependymonas. P atients, all of whom received post-operative cranio-spinal irradiation (CSI), were randomized to receive or not receive adjuvant chemotherap y (CT) with lomustine (CCNU), vincristine, and prednisone for 1 year. Thirty-six of the 42 patients with ependymoma entered on study were su itable for analysis; 22 received combined modality therapy and 14 irra diation (RT) alone. The failure-free survival (FFS) for the entire sam ple at 10 years is 36% and overall survival (OS) 39%, with no differen ce in outcomes between the two regimens. Survival was better for femal es (73%) than males (21%) and for those older than 10 years (51% vs. 3 1%). There were two toxic deaths in the group receiving CT. We conclud e from this study with long-term follow-up that the CT used was not ef fective in improving the outcome in children with ependymoma. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.