ArticleCureus2026
Barriers to Receiving Proton-Craniospinal Irradiation for Pediatric Medulloblastoma Patients at a Rural Tertiary Care Center.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionMedulloblastoma is predominantly a childhood cancer, with craniospinal irradiation (CSI) being a common treatment modality. Here, we discuss barriers to proton-CSI for rural pediatric medulloblastoma patients.
methodsPediatric patients <25 years old with a diagnosis of medulloblastoma were identified from a tumor registry at a rural tertiary academic center. A chart review was conducted to identify specific barriers to proton CSI, namely distance and time to the nearest proton therapy facility, median household income, and race. Descriptive and statistical analyses using the Kruskal-Wallis H test and chi-square were conducted in IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 28 (Released 2021; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) to describe this cohort and their barriers.
resultsOf the 18 pediatric medulloblastoma patients identified, no significant associations were found between barriers of interest and discussion or pursuit of proton-CSI. Median follow-up time was five years. All three patients who received proton-CSI were Caucasian patients. Non-Caucasian patients had shorter median travel times, with the association approaching significance (p = 0.068). No significant associations were found between county, parent employment and marital status, tumor classification, risk stratification, and the reception of proton-CSI or its discussion.
conclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on barriers to accessing proton-CSI for pediatric medulloblastoma patients without in-state proton-CSI centers. Our study provides insight into geographic, social, and financial barriers, allowing clinical teams to identify solutions to overcome these barriers. Advocacy for access to care on behalf of this vulnerable patient population will expand treatment access on a state and national level.
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