Is there a requirement for adjuvant therapy for choroid plexus carcinoma that has been completely resected?

Choroid plexus carcinomas (CPC) are rare central nervous system malignancies. While attempted surgical resection is imperative, the benefit of adjuvant therapy, particularly in the setting of a gross total resection (GTR), is unclear. We reviewed all pediatric cases of CPC reported in the literature between 1985 and 2000. Seventy-five cases of CPC were identified. Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 26 months. Thirty-seven patients had a GTR and 38 patients had a subtotal resection (STR). Thirty-eight cases (51%) were alive and 37 cases (49%) were deceased at time of publication. For cases with a GTR, survival was 84% compared to an 18% survival for patients with a STR. For patients with a GTR, all forms of adjuvant therapy were statistically equivalent. Our retrospective literature review confirms the importance of GTR in the therapy of CPC, with GTR alone being the single most important predictor of survival. The prognosis is poor for any patient with a STR, with the exception of those patients for whom adjuvant therapy allowed for an eventual GTR. The small number of patients receiving a GTR and no further therapy precluded a statistical comparison of no therapy in the setting of a GTR versus any form of adjuvant therapy. However, all four of these patients are alive, raising the possibility that adjuvant therapy in the setting of a GTR may not be required.