Chinese Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Craniopharyngioma in Children (2025).
This multidisciplinary Chinese guideline uses GRADE methodology and expert review to provide recommendations for diagnosis, surgery, radiotherapy, prognosis, follow-up, long-term endocrine and hypothalamic management, and targeted therapy in pediatric craniopharyngioma.
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This multidisciplinary Chinese guideline uses GRADE methodology and expert review to provide recommendations for diagnosis, surgery, radiotherapy, prognosis, follow-up, long-term endocrine and hypothalamic management, and targeted therapy in pediatric craniopharyngioma.
Research significance
The record supports the clinical value of standardized, multidisciplinary management; it is reasonable—but not demonstrated here—to hypothesize that integrating tumor-directed treatment with endocrine, hypothalamic, and long-term care could improve outcomes and reduce morbidity, while any benefit from targeted therapy requires validation in clinical trials.
Source abstract
This guideline was developed under the auspices of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Group of the Neurosurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the Neuro-oncology Expert Committee of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Neuro-oncology Professional Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association. Craniopharyngioma is the most common tumor in the sellar turcica region among children, with the majority being adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) and a smaller proportion being papillary craniopharyngioma (PCP). Management of craniopharyngioma involves not only tumor control but also the treatment of tumor-related hypothalamic dysfunction and pituitary endocrine disorders. To standardize the diagnosis and management of pediatric craniopharyngioma, this guideline incorporates evidence from 398 literature references. It provides recommendations on diagnostic evaluation, surgical strategies, radiotherapy principles, prognostic assessment, follow-up and long-term management, and targeted therapy. This guideline is intended to serve as a reference for healthcare professionals engaged in pediatric neuro-oncology. Recommendations were developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, taking into account the quality of evidence, clinical applicability, and expert consensus. Key recommendations are supported by explanatory rationale. The guideline were reviewed and approved by 35 multidisciplinary experts and 6 external reviewers, followed by formal voting on each recommendation. For areas lacking high-quality evidences, future well-designed clinical trials are recommended to validate and update these recommendations.