Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39998722›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuro-oncology2025

The association between postoperative photon radiotherapy dose and disease control and salvage treatment in pediatric and adolescent ependymoma: a multi-institutional investigation.

Kevin X Liu, Mia Salans, Teresa P Easwaran, Christina Phuong, Kee Kiat Yeo, Hesham Elhalawani, Paul J Catalano, Kathryn Dusenbery, Karen J Marcus, Stephanie A Terezakis and 2 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuro-oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Kevin X LiuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Mia SalansDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California at San Francisco and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, 1600 Divisadero St., Suite H1031, San Francisco, CA, 94143-1708, USA.
Teresa P EaswaranDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Christina PhuongDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California at San Francisco and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, 1600 Divisadero St., Suite H1031, San Francisco, CA, 94143-1708, USA.
Kee Kiat YeoDepartment of Pediatrics, Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Hesham ElhalawaniDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Paul J CatalanoDepartment of Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Kathryn DusenberyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Karen J MarcusDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Stephanie A TerezakisDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Daphne A Haas-KoganDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Steve E BraunsteinDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California at San Francisco and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, 1600 Divisadero St., Suite H1031, San Francisco, CA, 94143-1708, USA. Steve.Braunstein@ucsf.edu.

Funding

NCI NIH HHS L40 CA264321
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe characterized the association between photon radiation dose (< 59.4 versus ≥ 59.4 Gy) and outcomes in intracranial ependymoma. We also examined factors associated with survival after relapse.

methodsThis multi-institutional retrospective study included patients age ≤ 21 years who received postoperative definitive-intent photon radiotherapy for posterior fossa ependymoma between 1997 and 2021. Clinical characteristics were obtained from medical records. Five-year overall (OS) and progression-free (PFS) survival were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Factors associated with progression after radiotherapy, including dose < 59.4 versus ≥ 59.4 Gy, were analyzed using Fine and Gray's proportional subhazards model. Factors associated with post-relapse survival were explored using the Cox proportional-hazards model.

resultsWe identified 45 patients meeting inclusion criteria; 48.9% received ≥ 59.4 Gy. There was no difference in 5-year OS or PFS between those who received < 59.4 Gy versus ≥ 59.4 (OS 49.0% vs. 82.9%, p = 0.11; PFS 36.4% vs. 63.9%, p = 0.08); however, there was a trend towards worse 5-year OS and PFS among patients with grade 2 ependymoma who received < 59.4 Gy (OS 48.8% vs. 88.9%, p = 0.06, PFS 40.0% vs. 83.1%, p = 0.08). Only age > 4 years at diagnosis (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR]: 0.40, p = 0.03) was associated lower risk of progression. Following radiotherapy, 24 patients relapsed. Receipt of salvage systemic therapy was associated with worse post-relapse OS on multivariable analysis (HR = 2.84, p = 0.04).

conclusionUnderlying biological factors such as age and molecular subtype may hold greater prognostic significance than radiation dose in pediatric ependymoma. Regardless, recurrences are common and outcomes remain poor. Further research into optimal management of relapsed disease is critical.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsEpendymomaInfratentorial NeoplasmsNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalPhotonsSalvage TherapyAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansInfantMalePrognosisRadiotherapy DosageAdjuvant radiationIntracranial ependymomaRadiation doseRelapsed ependymoma

Identifiers

PMID39998722
PMCPMC12040991

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.