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Primary Pediatric Brain Tumors of the Posterior Fossa Part II: A Comprehensive Overview of Medulloblastoma

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Development of the Cerebellum from Molecular Aspects to Diseases

Part of the book series: Contemporary Clinical Neuroscience ((CCNE))

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Abstract

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in children and is currently classified into five distinct molecular subtypes (WNT, SHH-TP53 wild type, SHH-TP53 mutant, Group 3, and Group 4), based on genomic alterations, gene expression profiles, responses to treatment, and developmental cell of origin. The standard treatment for MB consists of surgical resection followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, current treatments do not take into account the extensive heterogeneity between and within MB subtypes. Cancer stem cells also play an important role in treatment failure and recurrence in MB, adding an additional layer of complexity in the form of cellular heterogeneity. This chapter will focus on the clinical presentation of MB, current treatment options, and histological classifications with a more detailed description of the current molecular subtypes, followed by exploration of cellular heterogeneity in the molecular era. Further dissection of tumor heterogeneity and identification of subtype-specific biomarkers will be crucial in the development of novel diagnostic markers and targeted therapies for these highly aggressive pediatric brain tumors.

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Change history

  • 09 February 2019

    The original version of this article was inadvertently published with some errors in figure-2. The same has been updated later as below.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regenerative Medicine Program, Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, 611-745 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0J9, Canada

    Lisa Liang, Christopher Aiken & Tamra E. Werbowetski-Ogilvie

  2. Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    Christopher Aiken & Tamra E. Werbowetski-Ogilvie

  3. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Stollery Children’s Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    Kathleen Felton, Amanda Hogg & David D. Eisenstat

  4. Section of Neuropathology, Division of Anatomical Pathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    Frank van Landeghem

  5. Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    T. Klonisch

  6. Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    David D. Eisenstat

  7. Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    David D. Eisenstat

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  1. Lisa Liang
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  2. Christopher Aiken
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  3. Kathleen Felton
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  4. Amanda Hogg
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  5. Frank van Landeghem
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  6. T. Klonisch
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  7. David D. Eisenstat
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  8. Tamra E. Werbowetski-Ogilvie
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Correspondence to Tamra E. Werbowetski-Ogilvie .

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  1. Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, The Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Hassan Marzban

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Liang, L. et al. (2017). Primary Pediatric Brain Tumors of the Posterior Fossa Part II: A Comprehensive Overview of Medulloblastoma. In: Marzban, H. (eds) Development of the Cerebellum from Molecular Aspects to Diseases. Contemporary Clinical Neuroscience. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59749-2_16

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