Endocrine late-effects of brain tumour therapy in childhood and adolescence: concept of a prospective endocrinological follow-up

The variety of endocrine late-effects after brain tumour therapy in childho od is well known. Growth is usually impaired first due to a hypothalamo-pit uitary growth hormone (GH) deficiency or a radiation-induced neurosecretory dysfunction of CH secretion. Generally, all hypothalamo-pituitary axes can be affected. Disturbances of puberty, gonadal function, thyroid function a nd adrenal function can manifest after a long posttherapeutic interval. A r etrospective analysis of the auxological and endocrinological data assessed within the German brain tumour study HIT 91 showed that endocrinological f ollow-up of these patients was not satisfactory. Therefore we have develope d a concept for the new brain tumour study: auxological and laboratory para meters will be assessed before oncological therapy and in regular intervals (4, 12, 18, 24 months after the end of tumour therapy). 24 months after th e end of tumour therapy all hypothalamo-pituitary axes are to be evaluated with pharmacological stimulation tests.