Purpose

This randomized phase III trial studies different chemotherapy and radiation therapy regimens to compare how well they work in treating young patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated, high-risk medulloblastoma. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as vincristine sulfate, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Carboplatin may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. It is not yet known which chemotherapy and radiation therapy regimen is more effective in treating brain tumors.