[Craniopharyngioma in childhood. Significance of the extent of surgical resection and adjuvant megavoltage irradiation for event: free survival]. / Czaszkogardlaki wieku dzieciecego. Wplyw rozleglosci resekcji chirurgicznej oraz radioterapii na czas przezycia wolny od wznowy guza.

A series of 81 children with craniopharyngiomas is presented. All patients were operated on between 1981 and 1992. According to the applied treatment the presented group was divided into three distinct categories. 28 patients underwent what was considered by the surgeon to be total excision of their tumour, 27 bad partial excision, in the rest 26 children partial excision of the tumour was followed by local rtgtherapy. The impact on the outcome, the statistically estimated probability of event-free survival, following different type of applied treatment was the main aim of this study. The 5- and 10-year actuarial recurrence free survival rate were 78% and 52% respectively, for total removal group, versus 46% and 28% for partial removal, and 49% and 18% for partial removal followed by megavoltage irradiation. The study show a statistically significant advantage for radial surgical removal of childhood craniopharyngioma in event free survival. It is emphasized that total resection using modern diagnostic and surgical methods is the mainstay for childhood carniopharyngioma. Nearly 87% of pediatric craniopharyngiomas can be totally resected.

[Results of combined treatment of cerebellar medulloblastomas in children with chemotherapy preceding radiotherapy]. / Wyniki leczenia skojarzonego rdzeniaka mózku u dzieci z zastosowaniem chemioterapii przed rozpoczeciem naswietlan.

153 patients presenting with medulloblastoma between 1980-1992 were treated at the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Child's Health Centre in Warszawa. This group was studied retrospectively and assessed for clinical presentation, histology, treatment regimen and survival. 44 cases treated between 1980 and 1986 underwent surgical resection, postoperative staging evaluation, and craniospinal irradiation, additionally patients assigned to "high risk" group received post-irradiation chemotherapy. Beginning 1986-86 patients with "standard risk" medulloblastoma were treated with preirradiation--"sandwich" chemotherapy consisting of either procarbazine, vincristine and CCNU or "eight drugs a day", followed by megavoltage irradiation, while "high risk" group received also postirradiation chemotherapy. The 5-year actuarial survival rate for all patients was 43%. There were no statistically significant differences in 5-year survival rate between the group treated with preirradiation chemotherapy--52%, and without--54%. The presented group was studied to identify variables of prognostic significance. The extent of disease at the time of diagnosis, as measured by M staging criteria was significantly associated with outcome. The extent of tumour resection, histological subtype of the tumour, postoperative complications, T-staging, and age did not influence the prognosis in the present study.

[Preliminary results of radiotherapy of children with neoplasms of the central nervous system]. / Wstepne wyniki leczenia napromienianiem dzieci chorych na nowotwory centralnego ukladu nerwowego.

42 children with diagnosis of neoplasm of the central nervous system have been treated in the Ist Teleradiotherapy Unit of the Oncology Center--Maria Sklodowska-Curie Institute in Warsaw in the years 1980-1985. The age of children has been within 16 months--16 years limits. In 38 cases brain tumors have been irradiated and in 4 spinal ones. The treatment consisted of megavoltage Co60 irradiation, and in part of the spinal tumors the irradiation with electrons of 13-17 MeV energy. The tolerance of the treatment has been in general very good. 25 children (60%) survived 3-8 years, without symptoms of the disease, including 15 (60%) in very good psychosomatic condition, 17 children died.

[Metastases of retinoblastomas to the bones of children]. / Przerzuty do kosci w retinoblastoma u dzieci.

The authors present their own clinical material of retinoblastoma in children treated in the Clinical Department of Child Oncology of the National Research Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw, in the years 1962-1976. Analyses of epidemiological and clinical data of 47 cases was done, and a four-stage classification was established. Case report of bone metastases of retinoblastoma from material is presented with some conclusions concerning treatment and prognosis in cases with bone metastases.