M H Friedberg1, O David, L S Adelman, C B Heilman. 1. Department of Neurosurgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma is a common tumor of childhood arising in the posterior fossa. The concept of a child with an embryonal tumor surviving the age of diagnosis plus 9 months as the period of risk for recurrence (Collins' Law) has been applied to medulloblastomas. This raises the question of "when should follow-up stop for a patient with this type of tumor?" METHODS: We present a case report of a patient with the longest documented exception to Collins' Law for medulloblastoma. RESULTS: The longest documented exception to Collins' Law, a medulloblastoma recurring 20 years and 8 months after the period of risk for recurrence is presented. Both the site of recurrence and the histopathology were identical to the original tumor. CONCLUSION: We present the longest documented exception to Collins' Law, to emphasize that even after decades the term "cure" should only be used cautiously.
BACKGROUND:Medulloblastoma is a common tumor of childhood arising in the posterior fossa. The concept of a child with an embryonal tumor surviving the age of diagnosis plus 9 months as the period of risk for recurrence (Collins' Law) has been applied to medulloblastomas. This raises the question of "when should follow-up stop for a patient with this type of tumor?" METHODS: We present a case report of a patient with the longest documented exception to Collins' Law for medulloblastoma. RESULTS: The longest documented exception to Collins' Law, a medulloblastoma recurring 20 years and 8 months after the period of risk for recurrence is presented. Both the site of recurrence and the histopathology were identical to the original tumor. CONCLUSION: We present the longest documented exception to Collins' Law, to emphasize that even after decades the term "cure" should only be used cautiously.