Primary brain tumors—those that start in the brain rather than spreading there from other parts of the body—are the most common "solid" tumors children get. They pose a major treatment challenge that has to be met by the coordinated efforts of a variety of health care professionals, including specialists in pediatric neurosurgery, radiation therapy and oncology , as well as neuroradiologists and neuropathologists. Significant emotional stresses and problems may occur, requiring intervention by specialized health care professionals.
Many tumors are controllable or curable with treatment, and over half of the children diagnosed with brain tumors will live more than five years. Every child's therapy should be aggressively planned with the intent to cure if possible. This is true even in situations where the same tumor occurring in an adult would not likely be cured.
As is true of all pediatric cancers, but especially with brain tumors, most advances in treatment have been produced by clinical trials of new methods. Various major cancer centers and cooperative groups such as the Pediatric Oncology Group and the Children's Cancer Study Group have clinical treatment protocols available for many tumors, and consideration should be given to enrolling children in such trials. They generally represent the most advanced and promising methods of treatment.
