Pediatric brain tumors are masses or growths of abnormal cells that occur in the brain or the tissue and structures that are near it. Many different types of pediatric brain tumors exist — some are noncancerous (benign) and some are cancerous (malignant).
Treatment and chance of recovery (prognosis) depend on the tumor type, its location within the brain, whether it has spread, and your child's age and general health. Because new treatments and technologies are continually being developed, several options may be available at different points in treatment.
Treatment for pediatric brain tumors is typically quite different from treatment for adult brain tumors, so it's very important to enlist the expertise and experience of pediatric specialists.
In this video, Mayo Clinic experts explain proton beam therapy to treat children with brain tumors.
May 31, 2017
- Childhood brain and spinal cord tumors treatment overview (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/childbrain/Patient. Accessed April 3, 2015.
- Lau C, et al. Overview of the management of central nervous system tumors in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 3, 2015.
- Brain SPOREs. National Cancer Institute. http://trp.cancer.gov/spores/brain.htm. Accessed April 3, 2015.
- Children's oncology group hospitals in Minnesota. Children's Oncology Group. http://applications.childrensoncologygroup.org/coglist/resources/coglist.aspx?State=MN&lc=. Accessed April 3, 2015.
- About us. Children's Oncology Group. http://www.childrensoncologygroup.org/index.php/aboutus. Accessed April 3, 2015.
- Nageswara Rao AA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 6, 2015.
.