Anne Bendel

PURPOSE: Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) of the CNS is a highly malignant neoplasm primarily affecting young children, with a historic median survival ranging from 6 to 11 months. Based on a previous pilot series, a prospective multi-institutional trial was conducted for patients with newly diagnosed CNS ATRT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Treatment was divided into five phases: preirradiation, chemoradiation, consolidation, maintenance, and continuation therapy. Intrathecal chemotherapy was administered, alternating intralumbar and intraventricular routes. Radiation therapy (RT) was prescribed, either focal (54 Gy) or craniospinal (36 Gy, plus primary boost), depending on age and extent of disease at diagnosis. RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2006, 25 patients were enrolled; 20 were eligible for evaluation. Median age at diagnosis was 26 months (range, 2.4 months to 19.5 years). Gross total resection of the primary tumor was achieved in 11 patients. Fourteen patients had M0 disease at diagnosis, one patient had M2 disease, and five patients had M3 disease. Fifteen patients received radiation therapy: 11 focal and four craniospinal. Significant toxicities, in addition to the expected, included radiation recall (n = 2) and transverse myelitis (n = 1). There was one toxic death. Of the 12 patients who were assessable for chemotherapeutic response (pre-RT), the objective response rate was 58%. The objective response rate observed after RT was 38%. The 2-year progression-free and overall survival rates are 53% +/- 13% and 70% +/- 10%, respectively. Median overall survival has not yet been reached. CONCLUSION: This intensive multimodality regimen has resulted in a significant improvement in time to progression and overall survival for patients with this previously poor-prognosis tumor.

BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma is associated with rare hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes; however, consensus medulloblastoma predisposition genes have not been defined and screening guidelines for genetic counselling and testing for paediatric patients are not available. We aimed to assess and define these genes to provide evidence for future screening guidelines. METHODS: ). Medulloblastoma predisposition genes were predicted on the basis of rare variant burden tests against controls without a cancer diagnosis from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC). Previously defined somatic mutational signatures were used to further classify medulloblastoma genomes into two groups, a clock-like group (signatures 1 and 5) and a homologous recombination repair deficiency-like group (signatures 3 and 8), and chromothripsis was investigated using previously established criteria. Progression-free survival and overall survival were modelled for patients with a genetic predisposition to medulloblastoma. FINDINGS: molecular subgroups and were associated with mutational signatures typical of homologous recombination repair deficiency. In patients with a genetic predisposition to medulloblastoma, 5-year progression-free survival was 52% (95% CI 40-69) and 5-year overall survival was 65% (95% CI 52-81); these survival estimates differed significantly across patients with germline mutations in different medulloblastoma predisposition genes. INTERPRETATION: because these patients have the highest prevalence of damaging germline mutations in known cancer predisposition genes. We propose criteria for routine genetic screening for patients with medulloblastoma based on clinical and molecular tumour characteristics. FUNDING: German Cancer Aid; German Federal Ministry of Education and Research; German Childhood Cancer Foundation (Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung); European Research Council; National Institutes of Health; Canadian Institutes for Health Research; German Cancer Research Center; St Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center; American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities; Swiss National Science Foundation; European Molecular Biology Organization; Cancer Research UK; Hertie Foundation; Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust; V Foundation for Cancer Research; Sontag Foundation; Musicians Against Childhood Cancer; BC Cancer Foundation; Swedish Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare; Swedish Research Council; Swedish Cancer Society; the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority; Danish Strategic Research Council; Swiss Federal Office of Public Health; Swiss Research Foundation on Mobile Communication; Masaryk University; Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic; Research Council of Norway; Genome Canada; Genome BC; Terry Fox Research Institute; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario; The Family of Kathleen Lorette and the Clark H Smith Brain Tumour Centre; Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation; The Hospital for Sick Children: Sonia and Arthur Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, Chief of Research Fund, Cancer Genetics Program, Garron Family Cancer Centre, MDT's Garron Family Endowment; BC Childhood Cancer Parents Association; Cure Search Foundation; Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation; Brainchild; and the Government of Ontario.