BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma (MB), the most malignant brain tumor of childhood has survival outcomes exceeding 80% for standard risk and 60% for high risk patients in high-income countries (HIC). These results have not been replicated in low-to-middle income countries (LMIC), where 80% of children with cancer live. METHODS: Retrospective review of 114 children (3-18 years) diagnosed with MB from 1997 to 2016 at INCA. Data on patients, disease characteristics and treatment information were retrieved from the charts and summarized descriptively. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier Method. RESULTS: The male/female ratio was 1.32 and the median age at diagnosis was 8.2 years. Headache (83%) and nausea/vomiting (78%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Overall survival (5y) was 59,1% and EFS (5y) was 58,4%. The OS for standard-risk patients was 69% and 53% for high-risk patients. Forty-five patients (35%) had metastatic disease at admission. Lower maternal education correlated with lower OS (71.3% versus 49% p=0.25). Patients who lived >40km from INCA fared better (OS= 68.2% versus 51.1% p=0.032). Almost 20% of families lived below the Brazilian minimum wage. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological characteristics of this series possibly explain the differences in survival that medulloblastoma patients have in Brazil. Issues related to limited health care resources, poverty, delayed diagnosis, treatment abandonment, and malnutrition are reflected in inferior survival outcomes when compared to high-income countries. Despite the difficulties encountered in an upper-middle income country, it was possible to deliver treatment with good results.

BACKGROUND: INCA estimated, for 2020 – 2022, Brazil would have 8,460 new pediatric cancer cases and 5% are bone cancer. Pain is the most prevalent symptom and is present in 75% - 90%. Advanced ill patients have 40% pain undertreated. OBJECTIVE: This study was to evaluate pain in pediatric bone cancer patients and investigate if there was a difference between those who survived and those at end-of-life. PROCEDURE: Patients were registered at INCA Pediatric Department, January 2011 – October 2016, with the diagnosis confirmed of primary bone cancer and under 19 years old. Pain was evaluated and registered at three moments during their treatment: at registration, three months after and the last visit before the end of this study or patients death, using pain scores. RESULTS: 157 patients were bone cancer, 15 (9.6%) had lost the follow up; 142 were analyzed, osteosarcoma 69.7% and Ewing sarcoma 30.3%, metastatic patients 50.7%. At the registration 53.5% had pain, 69.71% were receiving pain treatment and 42.25% had pain medications changed. Comparison of the three study moments was observed a decrease of pain status, with the absence of excruciating pain, and an increased use of opioids. There was no difference (p = 0.68) in pain status between groups of who survived and who died (39.4%). CONCLUSION: Pain management resulted in reduction of pain complaint and reduction in pain intensity, together with increasing opioid use. End-of-life patients did not have more pain than others, but disease progression was associated to more pain.