Brain and central nervous system cancers

There are many forms of childhood brain cancer, each growing in different parts of the brain. Some brain tumours grow slowly, while others are quite aggressive and can spread quickly to other parts of the brain and body.

Childhood brain tumours rarely metastasise, or spread, to other parts of the body. While some can spread to the spinal cord or cerebrospinal fluid, and a rare type, medulloblastoma, may occasionally spread to bone or bone marrow, they are generally localised within the central nervous system.

A lot of brain cancers are very difficult to treat. One brain cancer, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), is particularly resistant because it doesn't respond to chemotherapy or radiation and is unable to be removed via surgery. Other childhood brain cancer types include medulloblastoma, astrocytoma, ependymomas, gliomas and pineoblastoma.

Symptoms

Symptoms of brain cancer include persistent headaches, nausea, vision or hearing problems, coordination issues, seizures, cognitive changes, weakness, numbness and fatigue.

Treatment

Treatment for paediatric brain tumours varies depending on the type, size and location of the tumour, as well as a child’s age and health. Typical treatments include surgery, radiation, radiosurgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

Age range

Brain cancer stories