Prognostic Clinical and Biologic Features for Overall Survival after Relapse in Childhood Medulloblastoma

International audienceDespite progress in the biology and upfront treatment of childhood medulloblastoma, relapse is almost universally fatal. No standardized treatment has so far been established for these patients. By determining which characteristics are prognostic after relapse, treatment strategies may be optimized for each of these children. We demonstrated that molecular subgroup at diagnosis is a relevant prognostic factor of outcome after relapse. Moreover, we showed that time to relapse and the use of salvage radiotherapy at relapse might have a potential impact on post-relapse survival. Our data suggest that ongoing efforts toward a better understanding of the biology, timing and type of relapse would be important to understand the determinants of tumor behavior at relapse. This could help us address more specific questions on the best surveillance strategies after completion of the treatment and the introduction of risk-stratified second-line treatment strategies