Northeast Florida Medicine
Vol. 66, No. 2 2015
25
Pediatric Oncology
Looking ahead, the National Institutes of Health recently
funded the Pediatric Proton Consortium Registry (PPCR).
The goals of this registry are to capture patterns of care, acute
and late effects, and patterns of follow-up for pediatric patients
treated with proton therapy across the United States. The
PPCR collects demographic and clinical data to systematically
evaluate clinical outcomes after proton therapy, comparing it
to conventional radiation.
Summary
Radiation therapy plays a significant role in the cure of com-
mon pediatric brain tumors. It serves as the definitive treatment
for craniopharyngiomas, an essential adjuvant treatment for
ependymoma andmedulloblastoma, and a treatment alternative
as definitive, adjuvant, or salvage treatment of low-grade glio-
mas. Without radiation therapy, efficacy can be compromised
and toxicity compounded. As cure rates increase, treatment side
effects become increasingly important. Toxicity from radiation
therapymay not manifest for years or decades. Recent promising
advancements in radiation technology may allow us to further
minimize the radiation dose to surrounding healthy structures
while maintaining high cure rates.
v
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