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Medical ReferenceRelated to Brain Cancer

61. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - Cellular Classification of Neuroblastic Tumors
    
    Neuroblastomas are classified as one of the small, round, blue cell tumors of childhood. They are a heterogenous group of tumors composed of cellular aggregates with different degrees of differentiation, from mature ganglioneuromas to less mature ganglioneuroblastomas to immature neuroblastomas, reflecting the varying malignant potential of these tumors.[1]There are two cellular classification systems for neuroblastoma.International Neuroblastoma Pathology Classification (INPC) System: The INPC system involves evaluation of tumor specimens obtained before therapy for the following morphologic features:[2,3,4,5]Amount of Schwannian stroma.Degree of neuroblastic maturation.Mitosis-karyorrhexis index of the neuroblastic cells.Favorable and unfavorable prognoses are defined on the basis of these histologic parameters and patient age. The prognostic significance of this classification system, and of related systems using similar criteria, has
    
62. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - Treatment Option Overview
    
    There are different types of treatment for children with brain stem glioma. Different types of treatment are available for children with brain stem glioma. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Because cancer in children is rare, taking part in a clinical trial should be considered. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment. Children with brain stem glioma should have their treatment planned by a team of health care providers who are experts in treating childhood brain tumors.Treatment will be overseen by a pediatric oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating children with cancer. The
    
63. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - General Information About Neuroblastoma Cancer
    
    Neuroblastoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in nerve tissue.Neuroblastoma often begins in the nerve tissue of the adrenal glands. There are two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney, in the back of the upper abdomen. The adrenal glands make important hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and the way the body reacts to stress. Neuroblastoma may also begin in the abdomen, chest, spinal cord, or in nerve tissue near the spine in the neck.Anatomy of the female urinary system showing the kidneys, adrenal glands, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Urine is made in the renal tubules and collects in the renal pelvis of each kidney. The urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder. The urine is stored in the bladder until it leaves the body through the urethra.Neuroblastoma most often begins during early childhood, usually in children younger than 5 years of age.See the PDQ summary on Neuroblastoma Treatment for more
    
64. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - Treatment Options for Childhood Ependymoma
    
    A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your child's doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for your child.Newly Diagnosed Childhood EpendymomaA child with a newly diagnosed ependymoma has not had treatment for the tumor. The child may have had treatment to relieve symptoms caused by the tumor.Treatment for newly diagnosed childhood ependymoma is usually surgery to remove the tumor. More treatment may be given after surgery. Treatment given after surgery depends on the following:Age of the child.Amount of tumor that was removed.Whether cancer cells have spread to other parts of the brain or spinal cord.Treatment for children aged 3 and olderIf the tumor is completely removed by surgery and cancer cells have not spread within the brain and spinal cord, treatment may include the following:Radiation therapy to the tumor bed (the area
    
65. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - Changes to this Summary (08 / 29 / 2014)
    
    The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.This summary was reformatted.This summary was comprehensively reviewed and extensively revised.This summary is written and maintained by the PDQ Pediatric Treatment Editorial Board, which is editorially independent of NCI. The summary reflects an independent review of the literature and does not represent a policy statement of NCI or NIH. More information about summary policies and the role of the PDQ Editorial Boards in maintaining the PDQ summaries can be found on the About This PDQ Summary and PDQ NCI's Comprehensive Cancer Database pages.
    
66. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - Treatment of Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent Childhood Spinal Cord Tumors
    
    Tumors of many different cell types may form in the spinal cord. Low-grade spinal cord tumors usually do not spread. High-grade spinal cord tumors may spread to other places in the spinal cord or to the brain. See the following PDQ summaries for more information on staging and treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent childhood spinal cord tumors:Childhood Astrocytomas TreatmentChildhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors TreatmentChildhood Ependymoma Treatment
    
67. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - General Information About Neuroblastoma
    
    Fortunately, cancer in children and adolescents is rare, although the overall incidence of childhood cancer has been slowly increasing since 1975.[1] Children and adolescents with cancer are usually referred to medical centers that have a multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists with experience treating the cancers that occur during childhood and adolescence. This multidisciplinary team approach incorporates the skills of the following health care professionals and others to ensure that children receive treatment, supportive care, and rehabilitation that will enable them to achieve optimal survival and quality of life: Primary care physician.Pediatric surgical subspecialists.Radiation oncologists.Pediatric medical oncologists/hematologists.Rehabilitation specialists.Pediatric nurse specialists.Social workers.(Refer to the PDQ summaries on Supportive and Palliative Care for specific information about supportive care for children and adolescents with cancer.)
    
68. About This PDQ Summary
    
    Most patients with high-grade astrocytomas or gliomas will eventually have tumor recurrence, usually within 3 years of original diagnosis but perhaps many years after initial treatment. Disease may recur at the primary tumor site, at the margin of the resection/radiation bed, or at noncontiguous central nervous system sites. Systemic relapse is rare but may occur. At the time of recurrence, a complete evaluation for extent of relapse is indicated for all malignant tumors. Biopsy or surgical resection may be necessary for confirmation of relapse because other entities, such as secondary tumor and treatment-related brain necrosis, may be clinically indistinguishable from tumor recurrence. The need for surgical intervention must be individualized on the basis of the initial tumor type, the length of time between initial treatment and the reappearance of the mass lesion, and the clinical picture. Patients for whom initial treatment fails may benefit from additional treatment.[1]
    
69. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - Changes to This Summary (02 / 28 / 2014)
    
    The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above. General Information About Adult Brain TumorsRevised text on factors used to diagnose brain metastases to include diagnostic procedures, including contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain.Treatment Option OverviewAdded text to state that external-beam radiation therapy using either 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy is considered an acceptable technique in radiation therapy delivery. Typically 2- to 3-cm margins on the MRI-based volumes to create the planning target volume are used. Dose escalation using radiosurgery has not improved outcomes.Added Souhami et al. as reference 15.Added Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis as a new subsection.Added text to state that a phase III randomized trial compared adjuvant whole-brain radiation therapy
    
70. Neuroblastoma Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI] - Changes to This Summary (10 / 21 / 2014)
    
    The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.Changes were made to this summary to match those made to the health professional version.