• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 1991

From April,1983 through April,1989, we have treated histologically proven 21 patients with oligodendroglioma using 6 MV linear accelerator at the Division of Radiation Therapy, Kangnam 51. Mary's Hospital Catholic University Medical College. These are 8% of the irradiated 246 primary brain tumors during the same period. To investigate influencing factors on the survival of irradiated U patients with oligodendroglioma, we analyzed the cerebral location of the involvements, initial symptoms, CT findings and survival rates, retrospectively. One case was lost to follow up and excluded from survival data. Of the 28 patients, thirteen were male and 8 female. Ages ranged from 5 to 68 years with a median age of 38 years. Radiation doses varied from 3900 cGy to 0480 cGy and were given for 5 to 8 weeks. All but one were supratentorial. The involvement of the frontal and parietal lobes were 10 (48%) patients in each and temporal lobe in 8 (38.1%). Histological diagnosis was made by stereotactic biopsy in 3 and postoperatively in 18. The type of surgery was divided into partial, subtotal and total resection in 7,9 and 2 cases respectively. In 6 cases, chemotherapy was also tried during or after radiation therapy. Major presenting symptoms were headache, cerebral motor, nausea & vomiting and epilepsy in 18,12, 7 and 5 respectively in decreasing order. In CT analysis, low density (02%), cystic mass (33%), calcifiestion (66%) and positive contrast enhancement (42.8%) were observed as the highest frequency. Mean survival duration after radiation therapy was 38 months (K-M methods). We could not achieve statistically significant factors influencing on the survival rate after radiation therapy for oligodendrogliomas by one or two tail test.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1016-1023
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• 2002

Purpose : Brain tumors are the most common solid tumor in children. We retrospectively investigated the clinical characteristics of pediatric brain tumors, such as age, sex, tumor site and survival, as seen in a single institution over the last 15 years. We tried to evaluate the role of chemotherapy on the survival of some brain tumors. Methods : Three hundred fifty four children with primary brain tumor who were treated at Severance Hospital from Jan. 1985 to Sep. 2001 were enrolled. Results : Pediatric brain tumors were found most frequently in 10-15 years of age group(35.3%) and the ratio of male to female was 1.3 : 1. Supratentorial tumors(52%) were more frequent than infratentorial tumors(48%). Medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor(PNET) was the most common type(24.6%), followed by cerebellar astrocytoma(14.1%). Ten year survival rate of medulloblastoma, cerebellar astrocytoma and cerebral astrocytoma were 59.4%, 79.3% and 71%, respectively. The prognosis for brain stem glioma and glioblastoma multiforme were still grim with a 10 year survival rate of 12.7% and 13.3%, respectively. The addition of chemotherapy for high grade medulloblastoma led to an improved 10 year survival rate of 54.5%, compared with 40% without chemotherapy. Conclusion : The combined use of chemotherapy and radiation and surgery improved survival rate of pediatric brain tumors in our study. Chemotherapy for high grade medulloblastoma improved the 10 year survival rate. Further data analysis of the treatment modalities will lead to better comparisons.