Radiosurgery for pediatric central nervous system lesions - initial report and insights from a multicenter registry.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Brain tumors are the most common solid neoplasms in pediatric patients. However, treatment options remain limited in cases of local recurrence, metastasis, or inoperability. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) offers a potential treatment option in these scenarios. This multicenter study reviews the indications and outcomes of SRS in treating pediatric central nervous system (CNS) lesions.

Materials and methods: Pediatric patients, <18 years of age at the time of treatment, who underwent SRS for a CNS lesion at four institutions were retrospectively and prospectively analyzed.

Results: A total of 84 pediatric patients were treated for 164 benign or malignant CNS lesions between 2005 and 2023. The most common lesions were arteriovenous malformations (28.6 %), schwannoma (26.2 %), ependymoma (14.3 %), and astrocytoma (10.7 %). The primary indications for SRS were the need for salvage treatment (79.2 %) and palliative care (43.2 %). Most treatments (90.9 %) were performed with single-fraction SRS. The median follow-up time was 30.4 months. In patients treated for AVM, the median times to at least partial obliteration and to complete obliteration were 12.0 months and 38.4 months, respectively. The median local control rates for ependymoma and astrocytoma were 35.5 months and 23.9 months, respectively, while the median local control rates for schwannoma and metastases were not reached. The rate of high-grade treatment-associated toxicity was low (3.6 %).

Conclusion: SRS in pediatric patients demonstrated a safety and efficacy profile comparable to that of adult patients. SRS should be considered when conventional treatment options are limited and further evaluated as a treatment option for pediatric patients.