Assessment, monitoring and follow-up of brain tumor survivors

Description

Rehabilitation of brain tumor survivors is a complex process drawing on multidisciplinary expertise and integrated knowledge.

The main research focus in this area consists in the assessment of functional outcomes in order to establish rehabilitation needs as well as evaluate outcomes based on a number of international and national management protocols.

Research activity

• “Cerebellar lesions and cognitive-behavioral disorders: A study of posterior fossa tumors in children and adolescents” (2001-2004). Current research authorized by the Italian Ministry of Health
• “Comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for intracranial pediatric ependymoma”. A multicenter collaborative project with E. Medea Institute acting as lead for assessment and neuropsychological outcomes (Research Unit: Neuropsychological evaluation/Observation and psychological intervention/Intensive rehabilitation) (2005-2008). Research approved by AIRC (Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro)
• “Brain tumors in children: Supporting parent-child communication about the disease” (2010-11). Research sponsored by Fondazione Berlucchi
• “A diffusion-tensor study of radiation-induced brain damage correlated to possible cognitive deficits in the pediatric population” (2011-13). Research funded by Lombardy Region:
• “Retrospective and prospective study of late radiation damages after focal radiotherapy for childhood brain tumors”. Research approved by AIRC (Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro) for the 2014-2016 period. This multicenter research saw the collaboration of INT-Milan and the Neuro-Oncology Rehabilitation Unit and the Neuroradiology Unit of E. Medea Institute.

Selected publications

• Geraldina Poggi, Annarita Adduci, Lorenza Gandola, Susanna Galbiati, Alessandro Degrate, Elena Sironi, Sandra Strazzer, Maura Massimino  Cognitive and Psychological Outcomes in younger vs. Older Children with Subtentorial /Supratentorial Ependymoma after radiation Therapy. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science , 2011, 1, 87-93. 
• Massimino M, Cefalo G, Riva D, Biassoni V, Spreafico F, Pecori E, Poggi G, Collini P, Pollo B, Valentini L, Potepan P, Seregni E, Casanova M, Ferrari A, Luksch R, Polastri D, Terenziani M, Pallotti F, Clerici CA, Schiavello E, Simonetti F, Meazza C, Catania S, Podda M, Gandola L. Long-term results of combined preradiation chemotherapy and age-tailored radiotherapy doses for childhood medulloblastoma. Neurooncol. 2012 May;108(1):163-71.
• Adduci A, Jankovic M, Strazzer S, Massimino M, Clerici C, Poggi G. Parent-child communication and psychological adjustment in children with a brain tumor. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2012 Aug;59(2):290-4.
• Pastore V, Colombo K, Villa F, Galbiati S, Adduci A, Poggi G, Massimino M, Recla M, Liscio M, Strazzer S. Psychological and adjustment problems due to acquired brain lesions in pre-school-aged patients. Brain Inj. 2013 Jun;27(6):677-84.
• Massimino M, Gandola L, Biassoni V, Spreafico F, Schiavello E, Poggi G, Pecori E, Vajna De Pava M, Modena P, Antonelli M, Giangaspero F.  Evolving of therapeutic strategies for CNS-PNET.  Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2013 Dec; 60 (12): 2031-5. 
• Geraldina Poggi, Maura massimino, Carlo Alfredo Clerici, Marta Tettamanti, Veronica Biassoni, Annarita Adduci. Brain Tumors in Children: A Support Tool for Parent-Child Communication About The Disease. Psycho-Oncology. 2013 Nov; 22(Suppl.3):124-362.
• Câmara-Costa H, Resch A, Kieffer V, Lalande C, Poggi G, Kennedy C, Bull K, Calaminus G, Grill J, Doz F, Rutkowski S, Massimino M, Kortmann RD, Lannering B, Dellatolas G, Chevignard M; Quality of Survival Working Group of the Brain Tumour Group of SIOP-Europe. Neuropsychological Outcome of Children Treated for Standard Risk Medulloblastoma in the PNET4 European Randomized Controlled Trial of Hyperfractionated Versus Standard Radiation Therapy and Maintenance Chemotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2015 Aug 1;92(5).
• Massimino M, Biassoni V, Gandola L, Garrè ML, Gatta G, Giangaspero F, Poggi G, Rutkowski S. Childhood medulloblastoma. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2016 Sep;105:35-51. Review.
• Indini A, Schiavello E, Biassoni V, Bergamaschi L, Magni MC, Puma N, Chiaravalli S, Pallotti F, Seregni E, Diletto B, Pecori E, Gandola L, Poggi G, Massimino M. Long-term safety of growth hormone replacement therapy after childhood medulloblastoma and PNET: it is time to set aside old concerns. J Neurooncol. 2017 Jan;131(2):349-357.
• Veneroni L, Boschetti L, Barretta F, Clerici CA, Simonetti F, Schiavello E, Biassoni V, Spreafico F, Gandola L, Pecori E, Diletto B, Poggi G, Gariboldi F, Sensi R, Massimino M. Quality of life in long-term survivors treated for metastatic medulloblastoma with a hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART) strategy. Childs Nerv Syst. 2017.
• Camara-Costa Hugo, Bull Kim, Kennedy Colin, Wiener Andreas, Calaminus Gabriele, Resch Anika, Kieffer Virginie, Lalande Clemence, Poggi Geraldina, Von Hoff Katja, Grill Jacques, Doz Francois, Rutkowski Stefan, Massimino Maura, Kortmann Rolf-Dieter, Lannering Birgitta, Dellatolas Georges, Chevignard Mathilde, on behalf of Quality of Survival Working Group of the Brain Tumour Group SIOP Europe (2017); QUALITY OF SURVIVAL AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN CHILDREN TREATED FOR MEDULLOBLASTOMA IN THE PNET 4 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL; Neuro-Oncology Practice, 4(3):161-170.

Books

I bambini e il tumore. Strategie di supporto in ambito clinico, familiare e scolastico. Annarita Adduci, Geraldina Poggi. Franco Angeli, 2011.

Ritorno a scuola. Accoglienza , gestione e supporto del bambino con tumore cerebrale nel suo ritorno in classe. Geraldina Poggi, Annarita Adduci, Maria Chiara Oprandi, 2015 www.emedea.it/ritornoascuola.

Una sfida possibile. La riabilitazione del paziente con diagnosi di tumore cerebrale in età evolutiva. Geraldina Poggi, Maria Chiara Oprandi, 2017  www.emedea.it/editoria

Book chapters

The Medulloblastoma Book .Editors: Dimitris Kombogiorgas - Capitolo 13. Neurocognitive sequelae: Personal Experiences. Geraldina Poggi, Annarita Adduci, Unit of Acquired Brain Injury, Scientific Institute E. Medea – Bosisio Parini (Lecco), Italy, and others, 2014.

Partnerships

National partnerships

• AIEOP (Associazione Italiana di Emato-Oncologia Pediatrica)
• Neuropsychology working group involving many Italian centers, with E. Medea Institute acting as coordinating center
• Psycho-social coordinating group with active participation in meetings
• AIEOP Multidisciplinary working group on brain tumors. E. Medea Institute is the coordinating center for cognitive, neuropsychological and rehabilitation outcomes

International partnerships

• Participation in SIOP activities – Europe Brain Tumors Group, specifically
  • Quality of Survival group, for the development of protocols targeted to specific types of tumors;
  • “SIOP Intracranial Ependymoma” – Prospective trial for the diagnosis and treatment of children, adolescents and young adults with Intracranial Ependymoma - European study on clinical and functional outcomes.