A Comprehensive Guide to Pediatric Brain Tumor Treatment

Pediatric brain tumor treatment is tailored to each patient to promote better health outcomes. If your child has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, there are many treatment options to choose from. Our pediatric neurosurgery team can help you learn more about your child’s options and what to expect from each.

Pediatric brain tumor treatments

Brain tumors can be found in various locations and at different stages. These factors and a patient’s age will help determine which treatment may be most effective. In some cases, a doctor may recommend combining two or more of these treatments. Here are several common pediatric brain tumor treatments and when they are recommended.

Surgery to remove the tumor

A neurosurgeon may surgically remove the tumor if it is in an easily accessible part of the brain. As per the Mayo Clinic, this will not be an option if the tumor is near crucial parts of the brain that are vulnerable to sustaining injury. Surgery would not be recommended in these cases, or, at the very least, it may be necessary to remove only part of the tumor.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy may be the ideal treatment when it is not possible to remove the tumor surgically and ensure all the cancerous cells are killed after surgery. In other cases, chemotherapy can shrink the tumor before surgery. Traditionally, a shot or an IV injects the chemo drugs into the patient's body. For brain tumors specifically, a surgeon may surgically place chemo drugs into the brain tissue for more direct results. The least invasive form of chemo administration is, however, via a pill taken orally.

Targeted therapy 

As a pediatric brain tumor treatment, targeted therapy involves the use of medications that “target” tumor cells. (While chemo drugs kill brain tumor cells, they also kill healthy cells.) However, the child’s tumor type, age, and other factors will determine if they are a candidate for this treatment. For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved dabrafenib and trametinib to treat low-grade gliomas with a typically fatal mutation known as BRAF V600E.

Radiation-based treatments

Radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery kill brain tumor cells with high-energy beams. For radiation therapy, the child will need to lie down on a table so that a machine can move around their head and emit beams of radiation (usually X-ray radiation) that target the tumor from various angles. Several treatments will be necessary.

Radiosurgery takes a similar approach. The difference is that only one appointment is required because the machine emits larger doses of radiation.

Minimizing risks and side effects

Every treatment has risks and potential side effects. For example, surgery always carries the risk of infection due to improper healing. However, healthcare providers do everything they can to minimize such risks. In terms of pediatric brain tumor treatment, this means taking the child’s age, health status, medical history, and tumor details into account at every step of the process. It also means keeping parents fully informed and addressing any questions and concerns promptly.

Learn more in an appointment

Our pediatric neurosurgery team is dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive care. To learn more, schedule an appointment with our team. We provide pediatric brain tumor treatments to patients in Orange and the surrounding areas.

Request an appointment here: https://www.drloudonpediatricneurosurgery.com or call Dr. William G. Loudon, Pediatric Neurosurgery at (714) 677-9463 for an appointment in our Orange office.

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