Childhood Brain Tumor Treatment
If your child is diagnosed with a brain tumor, your doctor will talk to you about the best options to treat it. This depends on several factors, including the location and type of the tumor and your child's general health.
One or more of the following therapies may be recommended to treat the cancer or help relieve symptoms.
Surgery
Surgery usually is the first treatment for brain tumors in children. If complete removal of the tumor is not possible, the surgeon will remove as much as the tumor as possible without damaging surrounding areas.
Surgery also may help:
- Reduce the size of the tumor
- Relieve symptoms, such as headaches, nausea
- Place a shunt to drain excess CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), which may cause symptoms including headaches and blurred vision
The most common surgery for brain tumors is craniotomy, in which the skull is opened. Some brain tumors can be removed with little or no damage to the brain. However, many grow in areas that make them difficult or impossible to remove without destroying important parts of the brain.
MD Anderson's Children's Cancer Hospital has the latest, leading-edge equipment, called functional MRI or fMRI, to help map the area and make surgery more accurate. Many brain tumors in children can be treated successfully with surgery alone. If additional treatment is necessary, surgery may help by reducing the size of the tumor before radiation or chemotherapy.
Brainsuite® iMRI
When a brain tumor is in a challenging location, our neurosurgeons can use this innovative open MRI system that allows them to view the tumor during surgery. This helps them remove as much of the tumor as possible without damaging other parts of the brain. MD Anderson's Brainsuite is the first in the world of its type.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy may be able to stop or slow the growth of childhood brain tumors that cannot be removed with surgery. It generally is not used for children younger than 3 years. Radiation therapy may be used:
- As the main treatment if surgery is not possible
- After surgery to destroy remaining tumor cells
- To help relieve symptoms
New radiation therapy techniques and remarkable skill allow MD Anderson doctors to target brain tumors more precisely, delivering the maximum amount of radiation with the least damage to healthy cells.
Children's Cancer Hospital uses the most advanced radiation treatment methods, including:
Gamma Knife radiosurgery delivers a pinpoint dose of radiation to the tumor from hundreds of angles. It may be used if the tumor's location makes it impossible to remove of if the child is not healthy enough for surgery.
Focused radiation therapy, which is aimed directly at the tumor and immediately surrounding area
Whole-brain radiation therapy, which may be needed if your child has two or more brain tumors
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which shapes the radiation beam to the brain tumor and lessens exposure to the rest of the brain.
Proton Therapy
The Proton Therapy Center at MD Anderson is one of the largest and most advanced centers in the world, offering passive-scattered and intensity-modulated proton therapy. It's the only proton therapy facility in the country within a comprehensive cancer center. This means this cutting-edge therapy is backed by all the expertise and compassionate care for which MD Anderson is famous.
The ability to precisely target tumors with radiation makes proton therapy ideal for treating certain types of childhood cancer. It provides accurate treatment of tumors near or within sensitive organs while limiting radiation exposure to healthy tissues, which is vital in children whose bodies are still growing and developing. Studies show that proton therapy can also result in fewer late effects from treatment, a major concern among physicians and families when a child – especially a very young child – is undergoing radiation treatment. This includes potentially fewer issues with brain development for children who have been treated for brain tumors.
Proton therapy may be used to treat many types of tumors, including those in the brain, skull base and spine.
Chemotherapy
Children's Cancer Hospital offers the most up-to-date and advanced chemotherapy options for childhood brain tumors. Chemotherapy, often in conjunction with radiation and surgery, is frequently a treatment for tumors that are growing quickly. It sometimes may be used instead of radiation therapy in children under the age of three. Chemotherapy often is not as effective for brain cancer as some other types of cancer. This is because of the blood-brain barrier, small blood vessels in the brain and spinal cord that protect the brain from harmful substances, wich may act as a shield against chemotherapy drugs.
Targeted therapies
Targeted therapy drugs pinpoint the specific gene changes that cause cancer. MD Anderson is at the forefront of discovering these agents. Many of our brain tumor clinical trials determine the best drug for each patient based on analysis of the molecular profiles of patients' tumors.
Medications to decrease symptoms
Certain medications, including anti-seizure drugs, hormones and corticosteroids, may be given to help children with brain tumors feel better.
Learn more about childhood brain tumors:
Learn more about clinical trials for childhood brain tumors.
How proton therapy helped my son with a childhood brain tumor
My son Benjamin was born weighing only 3 pounds. He stayed in the NICU for seven months. It was challenging and financially draining. We had a kindergartener and toddler at home, while also visiting Benjamin at the hospital every day.
When Benjamin was able to come home, he had a total parenteral nutrition (TPN) central line, an ostomy bag and a gastrostomy tube (G-tube) to receive nutrition.
By the time he was 1, he was able to eat and have the ostomy bag and G-tube removed. Life was beginning to feel normal.
At 2 years old, he jumped into a foam pit at a birthday party and came out holding his head to the side. When I asked if he felt hurt, he said no. I waited a few days thinking he had pulled a muscle in his neck. But the head tilt remained.
When I took him to his pediatrician, they sent us to physical therapy. After two weeks, nothing had improved. We saw a neurologist who said he seemed happy and healthy with no other symptoms other than a head tilt. The neurologist ordered an MRI to be safe, but I remember her telling me that she did not think they would find anything.
Before we left the hospital parking lot, I received a call saying the MRI results were in.
A childhood brain tumor diagnosis
That is when Benjamin was diagnosed with a type of brain tumor called a Grade 1 pilocytic astrocytoma. His oncologist at our local hospital recommended he start chemotherapy but suggested waiting on radiation therapy to give his body and brain time to grow so they could access the tumor better.
A few months later, tests showed the tumor had grown. His care team decided to operate. Benjamin had just turned 3 years old when he underwent brain surgery. He then had two weeks of inpatient rehabilitation. This was rough on our family because we had two little girls at home.
After six years of trying several types of chemotherapy, including two clinical trials, we were ready to try radiation therapy. I knew the tumor was still growing and Benjamin was having symptoms such as sleepiness and increased face paralysis. So, we decided to take a leap of faith, trust God and go to MD Anderson to have his tumor treated with proton beam therapy.
Proton therapy is an advanced type of radiation treatment that uses a beam of protons to deliver radiation directly to the tumor, destroying cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues. As a result, it minimizes side effects to prevent long-term complications. Because of the physical properties of proton beams, it is ideal for pediatric cancer patients with tumors located near growing tissues, especially in the brain, spine, eyes, ears or mouth.
Perseverance through proton therapy treatment
In Sept. 2022, when Benjamin was 10 years old, he started proton therapy at MD Anderson under the care of Dr. David Grosshans. He had a wonderful experience at MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center. Benjamin told me it was the easiest treatment he has been through. He bonded with his care team and loved taking naps during treatment. On Nov. 4, he celebrated his last treatment by ringing the gong.
During treatments, he did not have side effects. But after he completed proton therapy, he experienced some numbness on the left side of his body and weakness in his leg. He continues to go to physical therapy and that helps improve his strength.
Benjamin is doing well, and the tumor is stable. He is working hard to get caught up at school. Missing school for treatment affected his learning the most.
My advice to other parents is to bring a book and a snack to treatment. Keep a watchful eye on the patient and most of all, remember to take it one day at a time.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Childhood brain tumors are treated in our Children's Cancer Hospital and our Proton Therapy Center
Childhood brain tumor diagnosis fuels commitment to future generations
As he approaches his 30th birthday, Harrison Elias often looks around and cannot believe how far he has come. After completing his master’s degree in exercise science/strength and conditioning at Springfield College and stints as a Division I college strength and conditioning coach at the University of Rhode Island and Boston College, he is now the founder/owner of a sports performance facility in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He also is a pediatric brain cancer survivor who has been in remission for more than 20 years.
“Some days I can deadlift 400 pounds but can barely pick up a pencil with my left hand,” says Harrison, who has limited motor function on the left side of his body, a lasting reminder of the brain tumor surgery he underwent as a child. “I have had bad days, actually a lot of bad days, but focusing on the type of person I wanted to be in the future has always gotten me through.”
The first symptoms of a childhood brain tumor
Because he was so young at the time of his diagnosis, Harrison does not remember many of the specifics of his cancer experience. But his family began noticing something strange in the summer of 2000 when Harrison was visiting relatives in Michigan with his mother and siblings.
“They were playing cards, but he was having trouble holding the cards in the right direction. His hand was turned, so the cards were facing the others playing,” recalls Howard Elias, Harrison’s father, who hadn’t yet joined the family on their trip. “He was only 6 at the time, and I remember them saying ‘Harrison, you’re not supposed to show your cards to the other players.’ And he said, ‘I’m not doing that; I’m not turning my hand.’ That is when they knew something was seriously wrong.”
Second opinion at MD Anderson brings comfort and confidence
Harrison had a CT at a local hospital, followed by an MRI at a different hospital. They revealed a lesion on the right side of his brain, in the hypothalamus, a deep part of the brain. The doctor said his prognosis was not good. Howard knew they needed a second opinion and immediately began researching options and seeking opinions around the country.
One of those opinions came from the nation’s No. 1 cancer center. “We were living in The Woodlands at the time, so we had heard about MD Anderson,” says Howard. “We met with a pediatric oncologist, Dr. Joann Ater, and really appreciated the comprehensive, collaborative efforts of all the MD Anderson teams to work together to provide the best, all-encompassing plan of action. Within weeks, Harrison was in surgery.”
MD Anderson’s specialists determined that Harrison’s original diagnosis was not completely accurate, and they concluded he had a pilocytic astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer that is slower growing and, if surgically removed, can potentially be cured. Unfortunately, because of the location in the hypothalamus, the chance of complete surgical resection was considered low.
The Elias family met with neurosurgeon Frederick Lang, M.D., who successfully removed Harrison’s entire tumor in July 2000 and vigilantly checked his routine scans for regrowth throughout Harrison’s childhood.
Harrison’s cancer never returned, so he did not need to undergo radiation or chemotherapy treatment. Post-surgery, Harrison spent many months and years building back up his physical strength and regaining motor skills that were impacted by the cancer and surgery.
“As a young child, it was a lot of ‘sit here, do this, do that,’” remembers Harrison. “But everyone at MD Anderson knew what they were doing and that was a comfort to me, even as a kid.”
A commitment to advancing brain tumor and cancer neuroscience research
The Elias’ relationship with MD Anderson and Dr. Lang has grown over the years. They have doubled down on supporting and advancing treatment options for pediatric and adult brain cancer patients.
“As a family, we have supported Dr. Lang’s research in neuro-oncology through the Elias Family Fund for Brain Tumor Research as well as the Howard and Susan Elias Foundation for many years,” says Howard, who lost his father to glioblastoma at age 59. “Now it is time for us to increase our commitment significantly so we can play a bigger role in advancing cancer neuroscience research specifically focused on brain tumors and the nervous system.”
Howard and Susan, Harrison’s stepmother, recently made a $16.25 million gift to MD Anderson to accelerate brain tumor and cancer neuroscience research, an emerging field focused on integrating the nervous system’s role in cancer. The gift aims to extend patients’ lives and eliminate suffering through a comprehensive understanding of the interactions of the nervous system with cancer. The Elias’ generosity and foresight will also provide secure, sustainable support for generations of researchers to come as they push the limits in searching for new therapies and cures.
Inspiring others to make it through
Back in Glastonbury, Harrison continues his transformational work as he helps young athletes pursue their own dreams.
“One day I looked around the gym and all the new kids were doing their pushups with one hand closed,” Harrison remembers fondly with a smile. “That’s how I always do my pushups due to my limitations on one side, but they had no idea. They just thought that was the way to do them.”
The strength and courage that got him through surgery and recovery at age 7 continue to carry him today.
“There is no better feeling than getting stronger in the face of a challenge,” Harrison says. “Keep going, keep going, and you will make it through.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.
Pediatric brain tumor parent: We're grateful for MD Anderson
When Ben Gadot’s brain tumor symptoms began in 2013, he was just 3 months old. The first sign was a visual change in his eyes.
“It was as if he was always looking down,” says Cecilia Gadot, Ben’s mom. “We could see mostly just the white part of his eyes.”
ER trip reveals childhood brain tumor
When Cecilia and her husband, Raphael, took Ben to their pediatrician, they were referred to an ophthalmologist. But Ben's health quickly started to decline. Cecilia remembers him being very fussy, crying and vomiting. They took him to a local emergency room.
A CT scan revealed a childhood brain tumor called pilomyxoid astrocytoma. Ben’s diagnosis was a Grade 2 optic pathway glioma.
Ben started chemotherapy to slow the growth of the tumor at a nearby hospital.
In 2016, he underwent tumor debulking surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. The tumor impaired Ben’s vision, and he started to experience precocious puberty at age 3.
In April 2021, Ben’s care team considered treating him with proton therapy but decided to keep him on chemotherapy to slow the tumor’s growth. In July 2022, Ben underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. By draining extra fluid in his brain, the shunt would help control pressure there.
Brain tumor growth leads to proton therapy treatments
But that September, an MRI showed a slight progression of the tumor. Ben’s care team decided it was time to start proton therapy at MD Anderson under the care of radiation oncologist David Grosshans, M.D., Ph.D. Because protons can be precisely controlled, pediatric proton beam radiation is ideal for tumors near growing healthy tissues.
On Oct. 17, 2022, Ben started 28 days of proton therapy. With his positive attitude and the help of the child life team, he underwent treatments and MRIs without sedation. “The bond he had with his care team brought him a lot of trust and comfort,” says Cecilia.
Ben enjoyed playtime with child life assistant Leon Benavides in the playroom at the Proton Therapy Center before and after treatment.
“MD Anderson’s staff is very supportive and caring, from the front desk to the nurses, doctors, radiation therapists and, most importantly, child life specialists,” says Cecilia. “Ben’s time in the playroom with Mr. Leon was his daily reward and incentive.”
Finding gratitude with a child in cancer treatment
Cecilia encourages other parents of pediatric cancer patients to find something to be grateful for each day. “The hardest part of treatment is waiting for it to start. Once it starts, it goes pretty smoothly and quickly,” she says. “So, take time to make each day a good day.”
Ben’s appointments were scheduled early in the morning so he could continue his daily routine. Most days he was able to go to school.
On Nov. 23, 2022, a few days before Thanksgiving, Ben rang the gong with his family and care team cheering him on. “We are so grateful for MD Anderson for not only being the best place to receive proton therapy but for making Ben feel comfortable and cared for along the way.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by calling 1-877-632-6789.