Brain tumors in infants: long-term outcome of surgical and comprehensive treatment

Most of brain tumors in infants shoud be radically removed. The long-term results strictly depend on radical of surgery and histology of the tumor. We aimed to analyse of the long-term results of surgical and comprehensive treatment of brain tumors in infants, according radicality of surgery, tumor location and degree of malignancy. Patients We analised the long-term results in 80 infants (1 to 12 months) with brain tumors, that were operated in the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute, Moscow, Russia from 2000 to 2010. Results Most radicality was achieved in cases of the lateral and third ventricle tumors - 85%; tumors of large hemispheres - 82%; posterior fossa tumors - 83%. Radical removal in cases of chiasmatic region tumors was possible in the minority of patients- 15%. Five-year overall survival rates depended of the malignancy of tumors: Gr I-II - 92%, Gr III-IV - 48%. Conclusion The best long-term outcomes were obtained after radical removal of astrocytomas Gr I, Gr III and plexus papilloma. Radical removal malignant gliomas, plexus carcinoma, ependymoma increases the efficiency of adjuvant therapy and progression free survival.