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. 2011 Mar;54(3):128-32.
doi: 10.3345/kjp.2011.54.3.128. Epub 2011 Mar 31.

Responses and adverse effects of carboplatin-based chemotherapy for pediatric intracranial germ cell tumors

Suntae Ji  1 , Hee Won Chueh, Ju Youn Kim, Su Jin Lim, Eun Joo Cho, Soo Hyun Lee, Keon Hee Yoo, Ki Woong Sung, Hong Hoe Koo
Affiliations

Responses and adverse effects of carboplatin-based chemotherapy for pediatric intracranial germ cell tumors

Suntae Ji et al. Korean J Pediatr. 2011 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has been commonly used for the treatment of intracranial germ cell tumors (IC-GCTs). However, this treatment exhibits some adverse effects such as renal problems and hearing difficulty. Carboplatin-based chemotherapy was administered to pediatric patients with IC-GCTs from August 2004 at the Samsung Medical Center. In this study, we assessed the responses and adverse effects of carboplatin-based chemotherapy in pediatric IC-GCTs patients according to the risk group, and compared the results with those of the previous cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Methods: We examined 35 patients (27 men and 8 women) diagnosed with IC-GCTs between August 2004 and April 2008 and received risk-adapted carboplatin-based chemotherapy at the Samsung Medical Center. Patients were divided into either low-risk (LR) or high-risk (HR) groups and a retrospective analysis was performed using information from the medical records.

Results: Although hematological complications were common, hearing difficulties or grade 3 or 4 creatinine level elevation were not observed in patients who underwent carboplatin-based chemotherapy. The frequency of febrile neutropenia did not differ between the risk groups. The overall survival was 100% and event-free survival (EFS) was 95.7%. The EFS rate was 100% in the LR group and 90% in the HR group, respectively.

Conclusion: Despite their common occurrence in high-risk patients, no lethal hematological complications were associated with carboplatin-based treatment. The current carboplatin-based chemotherapy protocol is safe and effective for the treatment of pediatric patients with IC-GCTs.

Keywords: Adverse effects; Carboplatin; Intracranial germ cell tumor.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Risk-adapted carboplatin-based regimen.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The 5-year overall survival (OS) (100%) and event-free survival (EFS) (95.7%) of 35 patients.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Event-free survival (EFS) rate for LR group (100%) and for HR group (90%) (P>0.05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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