Multidisciplinary monitoring in pediatric patients with medulloblastoma by primary care physician

Abstract

Diagnostic and treatment facilities in pediatric oncology have reached a very technological advances in a short period of time, contributing to increased relapse-free and overall survival rates. Obviously, the key factors are the improvement of diagnostic and screening programs, anticancer and concomitant therapy, including personification of clinical guidelines for monitoring and correction of early and late complications in time. Issues regarding the quality of life of patients, including social, psychological rehabilitation and aspects of reproductive potential, are becoming highly actual. The critical importance is that an informed multidisciplinary team of specialists at all stages of anticancer treatment should be involved. This article presents the main algorithms and the most significant issues for pediatricians in the diagnosis and supervision of patients with an oncological diagnosis, using the example of medulloblastoma, as the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system in children. The proposed recommendations are based on a retrospective analysis of pediatric patients with relapsed and refractory forms of medulloblastoma (n = 270) who received antitumor therapy in the period from 07/01/1993 to 07/01/2023, as well as international clinical data.