Radiation therapy is highly effective for the management of pediatric malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors including embryonal tumors. With the increment of long-term survivors from malignant CNS tumors, the radiation-related toxicities have become a major concern and we need to improve the treatment strategies to reduce the late complications without compromising the treatment outcomes. One of such strategies is to reduce the radiation dose to craniospinal axis or radiation volume and to avoid or defer radiation therapy until after the age of three. Another strategy is using particle beam therapy such as proton beams instead of photon beams. Proton beams have distinct physiologic advantages over photon beams and greater precision in radiation delivery to the tumor while preserving the surrounding healthy tissues. In this review, I provide the treatment principles of pediatric CNS embryonal tumors and the strategic improvements of radiation therapy to reduce treatment-related late toxicities, and finally introduce the increasing availability of proton beam therapy for pediatric CNS embryonal tumors compared with photon beam therapy.
Brain ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; Central Nervous System ; Child ; Humans ; Proton Therapy ; Protons ; Survivors

Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; therapy

Objective: To examine the outcomes of Tiantan first-aid protocol on critically ill patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). Methods: The clinical data of 18 patients with PCNSL who were treated according to Tiantan first-aid protocol at Department of Neurosurgery,Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University from November 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 9 males and 9 females, aged (56.9±11.1)years (range: 29 to 77 years). The median Karnofsky performance status(KPS) score at admission was 40 (range: 20 to 60). Three patients were mild coma, 3 were lethargy and 12 were conscious. The mean midline shift was 0.7 cm (range: 0 to 1.8 cm). After admission, all patients were treated according to the plan of rapid biopsy, rapid routine pathology and rapid salvage chemotherapy. The treatment procedures, clinical and radiographic outcomes, KPS score and adverse reactions of patients after chemotherapy were collected. Results: All of the 18 patients completed the first-aid treatment. The median duration from admission to the biopsy was 1 day (range: 0 to 5 days), from biopsy to routine pathological diagnosis was 1 day (range: 1 to 4 days) and from routine pathology to salvage chemotherapy was 1 day (range: 0 to 4 days). All the patients were pathologically confirmed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, 1 patient was double-hit lymphoma. Seventeen patients underwent clinical remission and 1 died of cardiac dysfunction. The successful salvage rate was 17/18. Radiologically, complete remission was observed in 1 case, partial remission in 16 cases, and stable disease in 1 case. The median KPS score at discharge was 60 (range: 30 to 80). The mild gastrointestinal, hematological and hepatic adverse effects were observed after chemotherapy. Conclusion: Tiantan first-aid protocol is effective for critically ill patients with PCNSL, which has the merit to be popularly used and improved.
Central Nervous System ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/therapy* ; Critical Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma/therapy* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies

Multiple primary or secondary malignancies after anticancer therapy were recently reported to be increasing in frequency. The authors describe a case of metachronous metastatic pulmonary basaloid carcinoma to the central nervous system that was discovered after chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cervical uterine carcinoma. Two different types of cancer developed within some interval. There's the possibility that a secondary pulmonary neoplasm developed after the chemotherapy and radiotherapy conducted as cervical cancer treatment.
Central Nervous System ; Drug Therapy* ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; Radiotherapy ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Central nervous system leukemia (CNS-L) is a fatal complication with low remission, high relapse and high death rates in leukemia. Because the existence of blood brain barrier (BBB) hinders drug from going into CNS, therefore it is urgent that to develop a new drug delivery system by which drug can highly and effectively go through BBB. Searching home and abroad literatures from December 2012 to February 2014 found a scheme which may effectively treat the CNSL, that is, ultrasonic microbubbles loading Ara-C, which changes the cell membrane permeability and increases the intercellular space by cavitation effect so as to make the Ara-C through the BBB for therapy. This review focuses on the present status of CNSL treatment and the progress of treating CNSL with ultrasonic microbubbles loading drug.
Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Humans ; Leukemia ; drug therapy ; Microbubbles

Central Nervous System ; pathology ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; therapeutic use ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; drug therapy

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma outside the lymph nodes. At present, high-dose chemotherapy based on methotrexate is the standard induction therapy for newly diagnosed PCNSL, but the effective therapy of relapse/refractory and elderly PCNSL is still unclear. With the progress of clinical trials, new drugs and combined treatment method appear constantly, such as rituximab and ibrutinib, the remission rate of refractory and relapsed patients increased, while lenalidomide showed a good activity in the maintenance treatment of elderly patients. This review summarized briefly the recent advances of research on immunocheckpoint inhibitors, immunoregulatory agents, bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors.
Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Central Nervous System ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/drug therapy* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases

Primary malignant lymphoma of the central nervous system which is characterized by high radiosensitiveness is rarely reported in the literature. We have experienced a case of recurred cerebellar lymphoma whose criginal site was septal area. Though septal tumor disappeared completely after radiation, a large cerebellar tumor was found 2 years thereafter. After decompressive suboccipital craniectomy and partial tumor removal the patient's general condition improved so secondary radiation and chemotherapy were started. In the course of port-op therapy, the patient abruptly deteriorated and succumbed.
Central Nervous System ; Cerebellar Neoplasms ; Cerebellum* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Septum of Brain

Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; prevention & control ; secretion ; therapy ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; pathology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Nervous System ; pathology

Primary spinal cord melanoma is a rare central nervous system malignant tumor. Usually it resembles an intradural extramedullary (IDEM) nerve sheath tumor or melanoma. We experienced a patient with upper thoracic primary IDEM spinal cord melanoma who was diagnosed to be with hydrocephalus and without intracranial lesions. Initial symptoms of the patient were related to the hydrocephalus and the primary spinal cord melanoma was diagnosed eight months later. At the first operation, complete resection was impossible and the patient refused additional radiotherapy or chemotherapy. At 22 months after surgery, the patient revisited our institution with recurrent both leg weakness. Leptomeningeal dissemination was present in the whole spinal cord and only partial resection of tumor was performed. The symptoms slightly improved after surgery. Primary spinal cord melanoma is extremely rare but complete resection and additional radiotherapy or chemotherapy can prolong the disease free interval. Hydrocephalus or signs of increased intracranial pressure may be the diagnostic clue of spinal cord malignancy and progression.
Central Nervous System ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus* ; Intracranial Pressure ; Leg ; Melanoma* ; Radiotherapy ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine*