Abstract
Object
We first reported postoperative intratumoral chemotherapy with bleomycin for craniopharyngiomas in 1985. However, this local bleomycin chemotherapy has not yet been used very frequently. It seems to be necessary for us to report long-term outcome and reconsideration of this treatment.
Methods and results
Local bleomycin chemotherapy was performed on 7 children (to 1985) and 11 children (from 1988 to 2004). A total of 11 pediatric patients with recurrent cystic craniopharyngioma was treated by intracystic injection of bleomycin after 1988 and followed up from 3 to 16 years. After 1985, 1 of 7 children whose clinical outcome was fair underwent intracystic injection of bleomycin again. This patient has never had recurrent tumor until now. The children whose clinical outcomes were excellent have no recurrence during follow-up from 21 to 26 years. After 1988, the results showed that cystic recurrences of 7 children have almost disappeared and the children have achieved a good school life, and 3 children are also achieving a good life after additional stereotactic radiosurgery.
Conclusion
Our results indicate that local bleomycin chemotherapy is effective and that recurrence does not occur after follow-up, which ranged in duration from 3 to 16 years.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Broggi G, Giorgi C, Franzini D, Servello D, Solero CL (1989) Preliminary results of intracavitary treatment of craniopharyngioma with bleomycin. J Neurosurg Sci 33:145–148
Caldarelli M, Di Ricco E, Papaci F, Colosimo C Jr (1998) Management of recurrent craniopharingioma. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 140:447–454
Fischer EG, Welch K, Shillito J Jr, Winston KR, Tarbell NJ (1990) Craniopharyngiomas in children: long-term effects of conservative surgical procedures combined with radiation therapy. J Neurosurg 73:534–540
Hetelekidis S, Barnes PD, Tao ML, Fischer EG, Schneider L, Scott RM, Tarbell NJ (1993) 20-year experience in childhood craniopharyngioma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 27:189–193
Kubo O, Takakura K, Miki Y, Okino T, Kitamura K (1971) Intracystic therapy of bleomycin for craniopharyngioma—effect of bleomycin for cultured craniopharyngioma cells and intracystic concentration of bleomycin. No Shinkei Geka 2:683–688
Mettolese C, Stan H, Hermier M, Berlier P, Convert J, Frappaz D, Lapras C (2001) Intracystic chemotherapy with bleomycin in the treatment of craniopharyngiomas. Childs Nerv Syst 17:724–730
Regine WF, Mohiuddin M, Kramer S (1993) Long-term results of pediatric and adult craniopharyngiomas treated with combined surgery and radiation. Report of 92 cases. Radiother Oncol 27:13–21
Takahashi H, Nakazawa S, Shimura T (1985) Evaluation of postoperative intratumoral injection of bleomycin for craniopharyngioma in children. J Neurosurg 62:120–127
Umezawa H, Maeda K, Takeuchi Y, Okami Y (1966) New antibiotics, bleomycin A and B. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 19:200–209
Weiss M, Sutton L, Marcial V, Fowble B, Packer R, Zimmerman R, Schut L, Bruce D, D’Angio G (1989) The role of radiation therapy in the management of childhood craniopharyngioma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 17:1313–1321
Zanon N (1999) Bleomycin treatment of cystic craniopharyngioma. In: Choux M, Di Rocco C, Hockley A, Walker M (eds) Pediatric neurosurgery. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Takahashi, H., Yamaguchi, F. & Teramoto, A. Long-term outcome and reconsideration of intracystic chemotherapy with bleomycin for craniopharyngioma in children. Childs Nerv Syst 21, 701–704 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-005-1208-3
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-005-1208-3