Pediatric ependymomas: will molecular biology change patient management?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Ependymomas remain a therapeutic challenge in pediatric neuro-oncology. These tumors are chemoresistant and rather radioresistant and until recently little was known about their biology.

RECENT FINDINGS

Histopathological grading of ependymomas according to the WHO classification is neither reproducible, nor correlated with outcome, especially in young children. Characterization of molecular abnormalities in ependymomas offers now a better understanding of their initiation and progression; different biological subtypes of tumors have been described and would need further validation. The identification of new prognostic biomarkers, such as tenascin-C overexpression or chromosome 1q gain, will considerably help patient stratification in future trials. Finally, the recent discovery of specific pathways involved in ependymomas oncogenesis, such as Notch-1or EPHB2 offers new perspectives for the development of targeted therapies.

SUMMARY

A comprehensive biological work-out including CGHarray and immunohistochemistry for specific biomarkers should now be recommended for the current management of pediatric ependymoma, especially in young children if radiotherapy has to be omitted in the first line of treatment.