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Intramedullary spinal cord tumors: Patterns of care in Victoria from 1998–2000 |
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| Authors: | Mark A ROSENTHAL David M ASHLEY Katharine DRUMMOND Michael DALLY Michael MURPHY Lawrence CHER Vicky THURSFIELD Graham G GILES |
| Affiliation: | Departments of Clinical Hematology and Medical Oncology and;Neurosurgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital,;Children's Cancer Center Royal Children's Hospital,;William Buckland Radiotherapy Center, Alfred Hospital,;Department of Neurosurgery, St Vincent's Hospital,;Department of Medical Oncology, Austin Health,;Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Abstract: | Aim: This study describes the management of and outcomes for adult patients with newly diagnosed intramedullary spinal cord tumors during 1998–2000 in Victoria. Methods: The adult patients were identified in a retrospective cohort study conducted by surveying doctors involved in managing incident glioma cases identified from the population-based Victorian Cancer Registry. Results: Sixteen patients were considered eligible for this review. Of these 15 (94%) had a histological diagnosis: an ependymoma was diagnosed in 13 patients (81%). A complete macroscopic resection was achieved in eight patients (50%). A variety of tumor types and grades were observed with surgery and radiotherapy the mainstays of therapy. One patient received chemotherapy (7%). One patient died from disease within six months of diagnosis. Of the remaining 15 patients, all were alive at 5 years and 10 (63%) remain disease free. Conclusion: This review documents characteristics of a rare condition and suggests that, overall, prognosis is excellent. |
| Keywords: | chemotherapy radiation therapy spinal cord tumor surgery |