Patients with supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (SPNET) are staged in a fashion similar to that used for children with medulloblastoma. SPNET may be disseminated at the time of diagnosis, although the incidence of dissemination may be somewhat less than that of medulloblastomas or pineoblastomas, with dissemination at diagnosis being documented in approximately 10% to 20% of patients.[1,2] SPNET are often amenable to resection; in series, 50% to 60% of patients were totally or near-totally resected.[1,2]

References

1. Cohen BH, Zeltzer PM, Boyett JM, et al.: Prognostic factors and treatment results for supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors in children using radiation and chemotherapy: a Childrens Cancer Group randomized trial. J Clin Oncol 13 (7): 1687-96, 1995.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
2. Reddy AT, Janss AJ, Phillips PC, et al.: Outcome for children with supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Cancer 88 (9): 2189-93, 2000.  [PUBMED Abstract]