Treatment Continuity and Bone Marrow Suppression in Whole-Brain and Whole-Spinal Cord Radiotherapy for Medulloblastoma Patients

• Published in: Clinical Medicine Insights. Oncology 2024-01, Vol.18, p.11795549241286431
• Main Authors: Li, Zongtai, Lin, Zhiyue, Liu, Hui, Xiao, Runnan, Lin, Chuyan, Zhu, Wenlong, Luo, Jiaxiu, Xu, Senku, Chi, Feng, He, Huilang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 1179-5549; 1179-5549
• DOI: 10.1177/11795549241286431

This study investigated the factors influencing treatment continuity and bone marrow suppression in whole-brain and whole-spinal cord radiotherapy for medulloblastoma, providing a clinical reference for mitigating the impact of hematological suppression on radiotherapy continuity. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with medulloblastoma who underwent craniospinal irradiation (CSI) radiotherapy at our hospital between August 2019 and December 2023. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 87 patients were enrolled. The bone marrow suppression status, clinical data, and radiotherapy dose data of the enrolled patients were recorded, and correlation analyses were performed. Based on the correlation results, further group comparisons were subsequently conducted. Overall, 22.99% (20 out of 87) of the patients experienced treatment interruption (median duration, 6.5 [5, 8] days), typically during the 12th (7.5, 14.75) radiotherapy session. Treatment continuity was weakly correlated with age and treatment modality, and the timing of interruptions was weakly correlated with dosage and treatment modality. Bone marrow suppression severity was weakly correlated with age, body mass index (BMI), and treatment modality. Treatment modality and age were found to be independent predictors of treatment continuity and the degree of bone marrow suppression, respectively. Subgroup comparisons revealed differences in the severity of bone marrow suppression, grade of hematological toxicity, and timing of interruption depending on the treatment modality, dosage, and sex (