Medulloblastoma: tumorigenesis, current clinical paradigm, and efforts to improve risk stratification

@article{Polkinghorn2007MedulloblastomaTC,
  title={Medulloblastoma: tumorigenesis, current clinical paradigm, and efforts to improve risk stratification},
  author={William R. Polkinghorn and Nancy J. Tarbell},
  journal={Nature Clinical Practice Oncology},
  year={2007},
  volume={4},
  pages={295-304}
}
Medulloblastoma is the most common brain malignancy in children and tremendous advances have recently been made in understanding the pathogenesis of this tumor. The Hedgehog and Wingless signaling pathways are implicated in medulloblastoma development, and both pathways were discovered as a result of analyses of genetic syndromes associated with the tumor. Over the past 80 years, considerable progress has been made in the treatment of what was once a fatal disease. The first survival reports… 
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187 Citations

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Using the four main molecular MB subgroups, a restratification into clinicogenomic risk categories quantified an unacceptable survival for the high-risk group, urging researchers to focus their efforts towards acquiring a greater biological understanding of these children.

Antiangiogenic Strategies in Medulloblastoma: Reality or Mystery

The state-of-the-art concerning antiangiogenic targets for medulloblastoma treatment is reviewed, and the complexity of the vascular system that intrinsically limits the efficacy of current strategies is discussed.

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A novel four-antibody approach to subgroup medulloblastoma using immunohistochemistry on archival specimens as proposed by Northcott et al appears extremely promising as it can be applied in any basic neuropathology laboratory across the globe.

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Current preclinical and clinical data, as well as data from clinical trials of targeted therapies that are either ongoing or in development for medulloblastoma are discussed.

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It is suggested that early recurrence in medulloblastoma mainly occurs in tumors with a highly malignant genotype and phenotype per se, whereas late recurrence is often dependent on tumor evolution toward a more malignant biology.

Prognostic and predictive markers in glioma and other neuroepithelial tumors.

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