Keywords: Observation, Radiation, Chemotherapy
Phase: Phase 2
Treatment ID#s: VT1508 NCT00027846
Age Group: Pediatric Only
Min Karnofsky Score: 10: Fatal processes progressing rapidly
Conditions: Newly Diagnosed: Y
Recurrent: Y

Prior Surgery is Allowed
Prior Radiation is Not Allowed
Prior Chemotherapy is Not Allowed

Patients must be greater than twelve months and less than twenty-one years of age. Histologically confirmed intracranial ependymoma. No evidence of spread of disease beyond the primary site. No prior therapy beyond surgery and corticosteroids.

Tumor Types: Ependymoma

Comments: Ependymoma is a relatively rare type of central nervous system (CNS) tumor. Standard treatment for ependymoma is surgical removal followed by post operative radiation therapy directed at the primary site. Young children, less than three years of age, typically have not received radiation therapy, but instead, have received multi-agent chemotherapy in an effort to delay radiation therapy. Patients with ependymoma who have incomplete resections and those who delay radiation therapy with chemotherapy have poor overall survival. With the help of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), investigators want to answer important questions with the hope of improving the outcomes (improved survival with reduced side effects) for these patients by increasing the rate of complete resection and by using conformal radiation therapy for children older than 12 months of age. Researchers will investigate the use of chemotherapy in children with incomplete resections prior to second surgery, conformal radiation therapy, and no therapy after surgery for completely resected supratentorial, differentiated ependymoma. For more information: www.stjude.org/brain-tumors