Current Research
Current research on medulloblastomas is at several levels. Basic (laboratory) scientists are
trying to understand the genetic changes in the tumor cells that make them become cancerous.
Radiation oncologists are studying giving radiation therapy to kill the tumor cells in ways that
may reduce damage to nearby normal brain tissue. Drug development studies have identified
new agents that show promise in laboratory models of these tumors. These agents are being
studied in patients with high-risk disease. Another clinical approach is the use of blood stem
cells to permit high-dose chemotherapy that would otherwise cause dangerously low blood
counts.