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Follow-Up After Treatment
Source: Childhood Ependymoma Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: January 6, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
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Surveillance neuroimaging, coupled with clinical assessments, is generally recommended after treatment for ependymoma. In a report of 198 patients with ependymoma, 90 experienced a relapse. Patients whose relapsed tumor was detected by routine surveillance imaging had superior second PFS than patients whose relapsed tumor was detected by clinical symptomology. The latter were more likely to have metastatic disease at relapse. It is not known whether these patients also had more biologically aggressive disease, although the median time to relapse and the median time from last surveillance imaging was the same in both groups.[42]
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Most practitioners obtain MRI of the brain and/or spinal cord at the following intervals:[43][Level of evidence B4]
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First 2 to 3 years after treatment: Every 3 to 4 months.
Four to 5 years after treatment: Every 6 months.
More than 5 years after treatment: Annually because of the high incidence of late recurrences.
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Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice