Newly Diagnosed

We’re here to help you on your journey.

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.

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Common Brain Tumor Treatments

There are many types of childhood brain tumors. Treatment options depend on the kind of brain tumor, where it is located, and the age of your child.

Each Child is Different

Doctors use different kinds of treatment to get rid of different types of pediatric brain tumors and keep them from coming back. The three main tools they use are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

For some children, doctors use only one of these tools. For others, they use two or three. It all depends on the kind of brain tumor your child has, where the tumor is located, and how old your child is.

Doctors also want to treat tumors without causing harmful side effects. Your child’s doctor may recommend trying a treatment that targets tiny changes they find in the cells of your child’s tumor. These targeted therapies are sometimes called “molecularly targeted drugs,” “molecularly targeted therapies” or “precision medicine.”

Learn more about the most common types of pediatric brain tumor treatments:

Observation

Before treating a child’s brain tumor, a doctor may choose to wait and monitor the child’s symptoms and tumor. This is called observation.

Some tumors can remain stable with no treatment needed for years. Doctors will use MRIs to regularly monitor a child’s tumor and recommend if and when treatment is needed.