Proton or photon? Comparison of survival and toxicity of two radiotherapy modalities among pediatric brain cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

With the introduction of new therapy modalities and the resulting increase in survival rates, childhood brain cancers have become a focal point of research in pediatric oncology. In current protocols, besides surgical resection and chemotherapy, radiotherapy is required to ensure optimal survival. Our aim was to determine which of the two major irradiation options, proton (PT) or photon (XRT), was the least harmful yet effective for children with brain tumors.

Methods

The protocol was registered on PROSPERO in advance (CRD42022374443). A systematic search was performed in four databases (MEDLINE via (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus) on 23 April 2024. Odd ratios (OR) and mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a

SUBMITTER: Kiss-Miki R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11841876 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature