{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,18]],"date-time":"2026-07-18T07:42:49Z","timestamp":1784360569564,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,5]],"date-time":"2020-12-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1607126400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,29]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Childhood diffuse brainstem glioma (dBSG) is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. Any tumor-directed surgical intervention is difficult. Magnetic resonance imaging forms the mainstay of diagnosis and radiation therapy has remained the backbone of therapy. In this study, we compare the outcomes of conformal radiotherapy with conventional therapy in the context of resource-constrained settings.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>In this retrospective analysis, conducted between 2010 and 2019, all pediatric patients with a diagnosis of dBSG were analyzed. The survival data were calculated in months from the date of diagnosis. Survival differences between variables were compared using the Log-rank test and the risk of death was calculated using Cox regression analysis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>A total of 20 patients (11 males, 55%) with a diagnosis of dBSG were included. Median age at diagnosis was 6.5\u2009years. No surgical resection or biopsy was done in any patient. Fifteen (75%) patients received radiotherapy and only 4 (20%) patients received additional chemotherapy. Five (25%) patients did not receive any form of anti-cancer therapy. Median overall survival (OS) was 8\u2009months (95% CI 5.2\u201310.8). Females were at a higher risk of death than males. Children treated with radiotherapy had a longer OS than untreated children; however, the modality of radiotherapy employed or the addition of chemotherapy did not affect the OS.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Radiotherapy, irrespective of the modality, increases the survival of children with dBSG in resource-poor settings. Additionally, socioeconomic concerns need to be addressed in the management of these tumors, especially in the case of female children.<\/jats:p><jats:p>Lay summary<\/jats:p><jats:p>Childhood diffuse brainstem glioma (dBSG) is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. Any tumor-directed surgical intervention is difficult. Magnetic resonance imaging forms the mainstay of diagnosis and radiation therapy has remained the backbone of therapy. In this 10-year retrospective study, we compare the outcomes of conformal radiotherapy with conventional therapy in the context of resource-constrained settings. A total of 20 patients with a diagnosis of dBSG were included with a median age at diagnosis of 6.5\u2009years (5.25\u20138.75). No surgical resection or biopsy was done in any patient. Fifteen (75%) patients received radiotherapy and only 4 (20%) patients received additional chemotherapy. Five (25%) patients did not receive any form of anti-cancer therapy. Median overall survival (OS) was 8\u2009months (95% CI 5.2\u201310.8). Females were at a 3.4-fold (95% CI 1.0\u201312.1) higher risk of death than males. Children treated with radiotherapy had a longer OS than untreated children; however, the modality of radiotherapy employed or the addition of chemotherapy did not affect the OS. Radiotherapy, irrespective of the modality, increases the survival of children with dBSG in resource-poor settings. Additionally, socioeconomic concerns need to be addressed in the management of these tumors, especially in the case of female children.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/tropej\/fmaa105","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,22]],"date-time":"2020-10-22T19:12:31Z","timestamp":1603393951000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Modality of Radiotherapy and Overall Survival in Pediatric Diffuse Brainstem Gliomas: Implications for Resource-Constrained Settings"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"67","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0562-4248","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Malik Tariq","family":"Rasool","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiation Oncology, State Cancer Institute (SCI), Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ishtiyaq Ahmad","family":"Dar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiation Oncology, State Cancer Institute (SCI), Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Saquib Zaffar","family":"Banday","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Oncology, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5486-4267","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aaqib Zaffar","family":"Banday","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarbjit Singh","family":"Chibber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Naseer A","family":"Choh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Misba Hamid","family":"Baba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiological Physics and Bioengineering, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammad Maqbool","family":"Lone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiation Oncology, State Cancer Institute (SCI), Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"2021031111255590900_fmaa105-B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"719","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(17)30186-9","article-title":"International incidence of childhood cancer, 2001-10: a population-based registry study","volume":"18","author":"Steliarova-Foucher","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet Oncol"},{"key":"2021031111255590900_fmaa105-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"x1","DOI":"10.1093\/neuonc\/nou327","article-title":"Alex\u2019s Lemonade Stand Foundation infant and childhood primary brain and central nervous system tumors diagnosed in the United States in 2007-2011","volume":"16","author":"Ostrom","year":"2015","journal-title":"Neuro Oncol"},{"key":"2021031111255590900_fmaa105-B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"v1","DOI":"10.1093\/neuonc\/noz150","article-title":"CBTRUS Statistical Report: primary 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