Central nervous system atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor: results of therapy in children enrolled in a registry

J Clin Oncol. 2004 Jul 15;22(14):2877-84. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2004.07.073.

Abstract

Purpose: Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) of the CNS is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor of early childhood. The poor outcome with conventional infant brain tumor therapy has resulted in a lack of clear treatment guidelines. A registry has been established to create an outcomes database and to facilitate biology studies for this tumor.

Materials and methods: A standardized data sheet was provided to treating physicians listing the reports that were to be sent to the registry for abstraction. Follow-up information was sought twice yearly.

Results: Information was complete for 42 patients. Median age at diagnosis was 24 months. Nine patients (21%) had disseminated disease at diagnosis. Sixteen tumors were infratentorial; 26 were supratentorial. Twenty patients (48%) received a primary complete resection. Primary therapy included chemotherapy in all patients, radiotherapy in 13 patients (31%), stem-cell rescue in 13 patients (31%), and intrathecal chemotherapy in 16 patients (38%). Recurrent or progressive disease was reported in nine and 19 patients, respectively. Twenty-seven patients (64%) are dead of disease (3 to 62 months from diagnosis) and one patient died of toxicity. Fourteen patients (33%) show no evidence of disease (9.5 to 96 months from diagnosis). The median survival is 16.75 months and the median event-free survival is 10 months.

Conclusion: Aggressive therapy has prolonged the natural history in a subset of children. Prospective multi-institutional and national clinical trials designed specifically for AT/RT are needed. Enrollment onto the AT/RT registry should be continued.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Central Nervous System Neoplasms / mortality
  • Central Nervous System Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Registries*
  • Rhabdoid Tumor / mortality
  • Rhabdoid Tumor / therapy*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Teratoma / mortality
  • Teratoma / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome