Observational study reveals improved overall survival with higher-dose reirradiation in pediatric pontine glioma, suggesting benefits of intensified palliative radiation.
Key Points
To evaluate the efficacy and survival impact of full-dose reirradiation compared to lower doses or no reirradiation in children with progressive diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.
Retrospective, single-center observational study analyzing 58 pediatric patients (median age 7.1 years) diagnosed with DIPG between 2010 and 2025.
Evaluated 22 patients receiving reirradiation at disease progression with either 50–54 Gy (1.8–2.0 Gy/fraction) or 39 Gy (3 Gy/fraction) using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis.
Patients receiving reirradiation achieved significantly longer median overall survival compared to untreated patients (17.9 months vs. 9.8 months; p = 0.005), with a post-reirradiation median survival of 5.8 months.
A reirradiation dose greater than 50 Gy and a time to initial tumor progression exceeding 9 months were statistically significantly associated with prolonged overall survival.