RO Principles & Practice: Pediatric Medulloblastomas and Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors

This presentation provides a review of workup, staging, and management of pediatric medulloblastomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) including treatment planning considerations and future directions.

This presentation is part of the RO Principles & Practice project. RO Principles & Practice is an initiative of the ASTRO Education Committee aimed at building a peer-reviewed library of foundational lectures spanning the breadth of radiation oncology. Developed and delivered by exceptional educators in the field, this program will offer high-quality core content across major disease sites and clinical domains. Designed with senior residents and early-career radiation oncologists in mind, RO Principles & Practice supports the transition from training to practice with accessible educational resources from a trusted source.

This activity is available from June 17, 2026, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on June 16, 2028. 

Cristina DeCesaris, MD, a Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) physician, is a clinical track assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Utah. She is a member of the multidisciplinary Central Nervous System, Gynecology, and Pediatric teams.

Dr. DeCesaris’s clinical expertise is in delivering intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), proton pencil-beam scanning (PBS) radiotherapy, and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy.

Dr. DeCesaris earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Neurobiology and Physiology as well as Psychology at The University of Maryland in College Park, MD. She went on to complete medical school at the Rutgers University’s Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine and residency at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD. She is passionate about education, clinical research, and equitable delivery of healthcare.

Target Audience

The activity is designed to meet the interests of radiation oncologists and residents.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Discuss workup, stage, and understand general paradigms for medulloblastomas and PNETs.
  • Understand future directions of advancing therapy and improving treatment-related toxicity, including strategic de-escalation and inclusion of radio-protective agents.
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education for physicians. ASTRO designates this for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.25 Certificate of Attendance
    This activity was designated for 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Course opens: 
06/17/2026
Course expires: 
06/16/2028
Cost:
$149.00
Rating: 
0

Speaker:

  • Cristina DeCesaris, MD is employed by the Huntsman Cancer Institute University of Utah and has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Planners:

  • Malcolm Mattes, MD, is employed by Rutgers Cancer Institute. Dr. Mattes has research funding from Gilead Sciences [ended 8/30/2025].
  • Avinash Chaurasia, MD is employed by the U.S. Army and has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Reviewer:

  • Michael Haddock, MD is employed by Mayo Clinic and has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Available Credit

  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

    The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education for physicians. ASTRO designates this for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  • 1.25 Certificate of Attendance
    This activity was designated for 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Price

Cost:
$149.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Course Fees:
ASTRO members must log in to the ASTRO website to view and receive the member rate.

  • Nonmember: $149
  • Member: $99
  • Member-in-Training: $49
  • Student/Graduate Student/PGY-1 Member: $49
  • Postdoctoral Fellow Member: $49

If you are an ASTRO member from a low or lower-middle income country, as identified by the World Bank, you can receive a 50% discount off your corresponding registration for this activity. Please email [email protected] to inquire about the discount.

Policies:
No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for those participants who, for any reason, have not completed the activity by the expiration date. 

Participants using ASTRO Academy activities to satisfy the requirement of a Continuing Certification (MOC) program should verify the credit number and type and availability dates of any activity before making a purchase. No refunds, extensions, or substitutions will be made for participants who have purchased activities that do not align with their MOC requirement.

The activity and its materials will only be available on the ASTRO website until June 16, 2028, regardless of purchase date. At the expiration of the activity, participants will no longer have access to the activity or its materials. ASTRO reserves the right to remove an activity before its expiration date. 

Required Hardware/software

One of the two latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.