Childhood Brain Tumors: Warning Signs and Treatment

Brain tumors are abnormal growths inside the skull, and among the most common childhood cancers.

• Benign tumors are not cancer, but can still be serious.
• Malignant tumors are cancer.

Warning signs

Tumors of the brain and spinal cord can cause headaches and other symptoms — though other conditions can cause the same ones, and symptoms differ from child to child. See a doctor if your child has:

• a morning headache, or a headache that goes away after vomiting;
• frequent nausea and vomiting;
• vision, hearing or speech problems;
• loss of balance or trouble walking;
• unusual sleepiness;
• personality changes;
• seizures;
• in infants, an increasing head size.

Diagnosis

Doctors use physical and neurological exams, lab tests and imaging. Most childhood brain tumors are diagnosed and removed in surgery.

Treatment

Treatment for children is sometimes different from treatment for adults, and long-term side effects are an important concern. The options depend on the tumor's type and location:

• Surgery: removing the tumor is often possible.
• If not: radiation, chemotherapy, or both.

Sources

Based on "Childhood Brain Tumors," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Cancer Institute; a work of the United States government in the public domain.