[Results of combined radiochemotherapy of intracranial ependymoma].

Thirty patients with intracranial ependymoma were treated in our clinic from 1965 through 1984. They were 13 children and 17 adults. As for the location of tumor, 9 were in the lateral ventricle, 8 in the cerebral hemisphere, 12 in the fourth ventricle and one in the third ventricle. Histologically, 18 were benign and 12 were anaplastic. The clinical course was analyzed in 24 cases. Out of the 24 cases, surgical treatment with postoperative radiation therapy was done in 16 cases, surgical treatment with postoperative radiochemotherapy in 6, and radiochemotherapy alone in two. Five-year survival rate of patients treated by surgery with radiation therapy and with radiochemotherapy was 35.7% and 66.7%, respectively. Patients treated by surgery not only with radiation therapy but also with chemotherapy took a better outcome. Recurrence was observed in 9 cases. Four cases of the 9 were benign ependymoma. The recurrence was observed within 3 years after the initial treatment in all cases. Even if histologically benign, the recurrence occurred in a relatively high rate as reported in the past literature. It should, therefore, be stressed that the initial treatment is important not only for a malignant ependymoma but also for a benign one, and the postoperative radiochemotherapy is useful for the improvement of the results.