Cerebellar medulloblastoma.Chemotherapeutic remission with vincristine cyclophosphamide and methotrexate

Abstract

The patient was an 11-year-old boy with inoperable cerebellar medulloblastoma twice previously treated with radiotherapy. A preterminal comatose stage developed 3 years, 10 months after the tumor was first diagnosed. A remarkable remission occurred after chemotherapy was administered, beginning with vincristine intravenously alternating with cyclophosphamide intravenously weekly. Intrathecal methotrexate was added and all three drugs were continued for 6 months. Then only oral cyclophosphamide was given for an additional 6 months. A fatal relapse occurred one year later and the patient died despite another course of intrathecal methotrexate. Chemotherapy should be administered to any patient with cerebellar medulloblastoma when the tumor persists or recurs after radiotherapy. It would be logical to study the effect of following the initial course of radiotherapy to medullobastomas with chemotherapy. Further research is needed to determine the best chemotherapeutic regime.