Abstract
Chordomas are rare malignant tumors that account for no more than 4% of primary bone tumors. The incidence of chordomas in children does not exceed 5%. Tumor removal is the primary method of treatment, however, due to the high frequency of non-radical surgery, most patients require an adjuvant course of radiotherapy. Photon radiation therapy in doses of 50–60 Gy does not provide the required antitumor effect. At the same time, the use of a proton beam allows delivering a dose of 72 Gy or more with low toxicity. The article presents 4 clinical case reports of base-skull chordoma in children describing their own experience with proton therapy. An analysis of radiation exposure plans was carried out, with an evaluation of the main qualitative indicators characterizing the high-dose coverage of tumours and the radiation load on healthy tissues. The case reports described confirm that the technique of proton irradiation with a pencil beam makes it possible to safely administer ultra-high doses of radiation in close proximity to healthy tissues, including in children. Further improvement of the irradiation planning technique is required, which will improve the target coverage with a high dose of ionizing radiation.
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