Reducing toxicity from craniospinal irradiation: using proton beams to treat medulloblastoma in young children.

Purpose: We report on a radiation treatment technique that has reduced the dose to critical normal structures in children with medulloblastoma.

Patients And Methods: Three children between the ages of 3 and 4 with stage M2 or M3 medulloblastoma were treated between 2001 and 2003 with craniospinal irradiation using protons. Patients received 36 cobalt gray equivalent to the craniospinal axis, then 18 cobalt gray equivalent to the posterior fossa.