Close

Newly Diagnosed

We’re here to help you on your journey.

Find Support

Learning more about your child’s brain tumor diagnosis will empower you to move forward and take an active part in making the best possible choices for your child's care. Here you'll find information to help you anticipate what’s needed in the first few months after your child's diagnosis.

Refine

Find a Clinical Trial

Embryonal Tumors

Embryonal tumors are a type of high-grade (malignant) brain and spinal cord tumor that start from early nerve cells called neuroepithelial cells. These cells normally help form the nervous system when a baby is developing. Because they can grow and change very quickly, they have the ability to become many different types of brain cells. When these cells don’t fully mature (called “poorly differentiated”), they stay in an early stage and keep their fast growth potential. This rapid growth may increase the chance of them turning into cancer cells. Embryonal tumors can spread through the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called cerebrospinal fluid.

About Embryonal Tumors 

Embryonal tumors most often happen in babies and young children, but this type of pediatric brain tumor can happen at any age. There are several kinds of embryonal tumors:

  • Medulloblastomas are the most common type of embryonal tumor. They are fast-growing tumors that form in brain cells in the cerebellum at the lower back part of the brain. The cerebellum controls movement, balance, and posture. Medulloblastomas sometimes spread to the bone, bone marrow, lung, or other parts of the body, but this is rare. Medulloblastomas are classified into molecular subgroups: WNT, SHH, Group 3 and Group 4. Each of these subtypes have different characteristics and prognosis that impact how they are treated.
  • CNS neuroblastomas are a very rare type of neuroblastoma that form in the nerve tissue of the cerebrum or the layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord. They may be large and spread to other parts of the brain or spinal cord.
  • Embryonal Tumor with Multilayered Rosettes (ETMR) is a very rare and aggressive type of brain tumor that usually occurs in young children, most often under the age of four. ETMRs typically form in the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain, which controls thinking, movement, and senses. These tumors grow quickly and can spread through the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. ETMRs are known for having a specific pattern of cells (called “rosettes”) that helps doctors identify them under a microscope.
  • Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) are very rare, fast-growing tumors. They usually occur in the brain and spinal cord in children three years and younger but can occur in older children and adults. About half of these tumors form in the cerebellum or brain stem, but they can also be found in other parts of the central nervous system.

Embryonal tumors are aggressive and require multimodal treatment including surgery, intensive chemotherapy, sometimes followed by a stem cell rescue, radiation when age appropriate and sometimes targeted therapy.

Stories

All Stories

Family Support Webinars

View all past webinars