Overview of Brain Tumors in Children
What are brain tumors in children?
A brain tumor is a growth in the brain. Brain tumors may be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous. But even a noncancerous tumor can cause serious problems.
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Brain tumors are among the most common cancers that affect children
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The most common brain tumors in children are astrocytomas, medulloblastomas, and ependymomas—each starts in a different part of the brain
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A child with a brain tumor may have headaches, throw up, and have vision or balance problems
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Doctors treat brain tumors with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy
What causes brain tumors in children?
What are the symptoms of a brain tumor in children?
Symptoms of brain tumors occur because the growing tumor puts pressure on the brain.
Infants can't say what's wrong but you may notice they:
If the tumor starts early in infancy, your baby's head may appear too big.
Older children have similar symptoms, but they may also have:
Other symptoms depend on where the tumor grows in the brain.
How can doctors tell if my child has a brain tumor?
Doctors suspect a brain tumor based on your child's symptoms. To tell if your child has a brain tumor, they'll do:
If the MRI results show a brain tumor, doctors may:
To see if any cancer has spread, doctors may also do a spinal tap (take a sample of fluid from the spinal cord).
How do doctors treat brain tumors in children?
A team of doctors who specialize in treating brain tumors in children will plan your child's treatment. To treat brain tumors, doctors will do a combination of:
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Surgery to remove the tumor
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Chemotherapy (using medicine to destroy cancer cells)
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Radiation therapy (using radiation to destroy cancer cells)
If the tumor is blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, doctors may put a small tube in your child's brain to drain fluid before surgery.
