More on Surveillance of Children with Medulloblastoma

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Abstract
The reporting by Torres et al. on surveillance scanning of children with medulloblastoma (March 31 issue)1 represents the opinion of a minority of clinical investigators caring for children with this type of tumor. As the leaders of the Brain Tumor Committee of the Pediatric Oncology Group, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, we can state with confidence that the Pediatric Oncology Group strongly supports surveillance scanning of all children with brain tumors, including those with medulloblastoma. Similarly, the Children's Cancer Group has recently published guidelines that clearly state the need for surveillance scanning of children with a spectrum of brain tumors, including medulloblastoma. Kramer et al.2 present guidelines for surveillance scanning of children with medulloblastoma for at least 10 years. In fact, one of the authors of this report, the senior neuroradiologist Dr. Zimmerman, is a coauthor of the report by Torres et al. The guidelines presented by Kramer et al. may represent a change in the philosophy and recommendations expressed in the Journal article.