Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2010

Mentor: Laura Klesse MD, PhD
Department: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Room number: Children's - A3-103
a) Mail Code: MC 9063
Phone number: 214-648-3896
E-mail: Laura.Klesse@UTSouthwestern.edu
Project title: Utility of long-term neuroimaging in pediatric patients with completely resected cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas.

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): Exempted status to be obtained prior to project start.

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)
This project is a retrospective chart review of patients treated at Children's Medical Center Dallas with cerebellar pilocytic astroctyomas.

Brief Description of Project:
Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the most common solid tumor in pediatrics and are second in number only to acute leukemias overall. Low grade gliomas, specifically pilocytic astrocytomas, account for the majority of pediatric CNS tumors. Surgical resection continues to be the treatment of choice with long term survival rates of over 90% at 5 years. Tumors which are unable to be completely resected have 5 year progression free survival rates of 70%. Pilocytic astrocytomas which are completely resected do very well overall, but continue to be closely followed for multiple years with frequent MRI examinations. With such a high progression free survival rate, the utility of such long term neuroimaging is less clear as most children are followed well into early adulthood. We propose a retrospective chart review of patients treated at Children's Medical Center Dallas from 1990 to present for cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas analyzing the extent of resection, progression dates, subsequent treatment, length of follow-up and overall survival. The goal of the study is to identify a potential time period of follow-up which is necessary to identify those tumors which progress versus those which are felt to not require continued neuroimaging. Identification of such a time period would impact practice locally as well as nationally. The data accrual will be performed by the summer student on a patient group identified by the primary investigator.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
None to date, as I am in my second year as faculty.