Treatment of Recurrent Childhood Medulloblastoma and Other Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors

Biopsy to diagnose medulloblastoma and other CNS embryonal tumors. Surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible may be done.

For children who previously received radiation therapy and chemotherapy, treatment may include repeat radiation at the site where the cancer started and where the tumor has spread. Stereotactic radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy may also be used.

For infants and young children who previously received chemotherapy only and have a local recurrence, treatment may be chemotherapy with radiation therapy to the tumor and the area close to it. Surgery to remove the tumor may also be done.

For patients who previously received radiation therapy, high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell rescue may be used. It is not known whether this treatment improves survival.

Targeted therapy with a signal transduction inhibitor (vismodegib) for patients whose cancer has certain changes in the genes.