This study pushes the envelope of how to use our therapies to give the most benefit to patients we otherwise wouldn’t be treating: in this case, children under the age of 3. This age group has historically been a ‘no man’s land.’ Now we see we can treat children as young as 1 year,” said Anita Mahajan, MD, a radiation oncologist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who moderated the press conference at the 2015 ASTRO Annual Meeting where these findings were discussed.

“We used to give chemotherapy to these children and wait until they were older to give radiation, but by then, they were harder to salvage,” she added. “We know early radiation is important for tumor control. With modern techniques and multidisciplinary care, it is possible to improve outcomes in these young children,” concluded Dr. Mahajan. ■

Disclosure: Dr. Mahajan reported no potential conflicts of interest.