Brain tumors affect nearly 1,500 to 2,000 children in the United States every year. They are diagnosed most often between the ages of three and eight, but can occur at any age. A brain tumor results from an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain and is classified by the way brain tumor cells appear under a microscope. Tumors can be more or less malignant. Malignant brain tumors tend to grow rapidly and can spread to the spinal cord. For the most malignant tumors, there is still no standard treatment, but innovative treatments are being used at the Children's Cancer Hospital. For the least malignant tumors, surgery alone may be sufficient treatment.
Pediatric brain tumors are usually found early because the brain regulates vital functions such as memory, learning, hearing, sight, smell and emotion, and when these vital functions are disrupted, signs appear quickly.
In collaboration with Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital, offers a pediatric brain tumor program that brings together expertise from two renowned hospitals. The program ensures that patients receive timely and accurate diagnosis and individualized treatment for all types of pediatric brain tumors.
MD Anderson’s pediatric brain tumor team has expertise in treating complex brain tumors. The team consists of neurosurgeons, neurologists, radiation oncologists and other doctors who specialize in the type of treatment a child requires. Treating childhood brain tumors requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining surgery with other cancer treatments to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Treatment of childhood brain tumors starts with surgery to remove the tumor. Before surgery, children are often given steroids to reduce swelling in the brain and anticonvulsant medications to prevent seizures. Neurosurgeons (a specialist in childhood brain surgery) will remove as much of the tumor as possible and remove a tissue sample for analysis. They will also create a pathway for chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy after surgery.
Chemotherapy is the standard treatment for brain tumors in children under the age of three. Chemotherapy may be cancer-killing drugs taken daily, an injection into a blood vessel or muscle once a week or infusion through IV for several days at a time each month. For young children, chemotherapy is often used to eliminate or delay the need for radiation therapy.
Radiation is used after surgery if necessary. Radiation directs high-dose X-rays to kill the tumor cells and shrink the tumor. It is usually given daily for 6 to 8 weeks. Radiation is not used in children under the age of three because of possible long term effects to developing brains.
The most innovative treatments for childhood are offered as part of clinical trials, which are closely monitored studies to test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments. Go to MD Anderson's list ofcurrent pediatric clinical trials to see if your child might be eligible.
Cancer screening exams are important medical tests done when you’re at risk but don’t have symptoms. They help find cancer at its earliest stage, when the chances for successful treatment are highest.
Unfortunately, no standardized screening tests have been shown to improve childhood brain tumor outcomes. However, here at MD Anderson, we’re working to develop screening tests for those at risk.