Radiation Oncology for Pediatric CNS Tumors

This book reviews the principles and applications of radiotherapy in the management of pediatric brain tumors to allow the reader to gain a full appreciation of the major aspects involved in caring for these patients. Individual sections are devoted to basic principles, specific management for the full range of tumor entities, radiotherapy techniques, and potential toxicities and their management. The book is written and edited by world leaders in pediatric radiotherapy, and care has been taken to cover the latest advances in diagnosis and radiotherapy techniques.Pediatric brain tumors represent a diverse group of neoplasms that require carefully planned management for successful definitive treatment. Radiotherapy is one of the fundamental components in treatment for the majority of these vulnerable patients. The optimal radiation therapy approach will depend on multiple factors, including tumor type and location, extent of disease, age of the patient, and other therapies. A thorough understanding of the natural history of the disease, communication with the multidisciplinary team, full knowledge of available radiotherapy techniques, and consideration of potential acute and late toxicities are therefore essential for each patient. 

“The purpose is to provide up-to-date information on the epidemiology and management of brain tumors in children. … this book meets its objectives and is a worthwhile and timely addition to the field. … the intended audience is the pediatric oncology community … .” (Karen Jean Marcus, Doody's Book Reviews, February, 2018)

Dr. Mahajan is a Professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota since 2017.  She serves as the Clinical Director of Particle Therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology.  In this role, she oversees the day to day operations of the center and is  heavily involved in planning future upgrades. Upon completing her residency training in Montreal, Canada and a fellowship in proton therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Mahajan joined the faculty at Tufts New England Medical Center.  Dr. Mahajan worked at MD Anderson Cancer Center for 15 years where she was the Section Chief for the Pediatric and CNS Radiation Oncology service.  She had also served as the Proton Therapy Medical Director and the Associate Residency Program Director.Dr. Mahajan's clinical interests have been in radiation oncology for children, adult CNS tumors, particle therapy and other advanced technologies.  During her time in Houston, she developed a robust pediatric proton practice, lead many research initiatives which resulted in over a sixty publication and several ongoing collaborations. Currently she is involved in advanced radiation therapy planning outcomes for proton therapy which will increase planning accuracy, delivery with biologic dose evaluation.Dr. Paulino is a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Director of Pediatric Radiation Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. He did his residency in Chicago, Illinois and did a one year pediatric radiation oncology fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He has been treating childhood cancer for more than 25 years. His main research interest is understanding how radiotherapy can be used while minimizing late effects. He is an author of more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and more than 40 book chapters, mostly on pediatric cancer.