Paediatric cerebellar glioblastoma - long-term survival following surgery and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy: A case report and literature review

Introduction

Paediatric cerebellar glioblastoma is an exceptionally rare clinical entity, with very few cases described in the literature. In the majority of reported cases, prognosis is extremely poor, despite surgical and oncological management. The paucity of data results in lack of consensus as to the optimal management of these patients, with the objective of prolonging survival.

Research question

Do patient or tumour characteristics suggest more favourable rates of progression-free survival in paediatric cerebellar glioblastoma?

Material and methods

Tumour histopathology plus retrospective molecular analysis of archived samples, as well treatment strategy and patient characteristics of a six-year-old child with cerebellar glioblastoma and prolonged progression-free survival were assessed. Characteristics in the published literature that inferred prolonged survival were identified and compared.

Results

Paediatric cerebellar glioblastoma is extremely rare, with only a handful of cases reported over several decades, during which time diagnostic and therapeutic techniques have evolved markedly. Consequently, the scarcity of data with sufficient granularity means that limited conclusions can be drawn. Specific clinical and histopathological factors (i.e. female sex, young age, EGFR negativity and surgical resection plus adjuvant chemoradiotherapy) may indicate a more favourable progression-free survival.

Discussion and conclusion

Rates of progression-free survival in this rare condition are generally poor, however, several patient and tumour characteristics may infer more favourable prognosis. As increasingly refined means of diagnosis and characterisation are developed, particularly as a result of advances in molecular analyses, more adjuvant treatment options are likely to come on stream in future.