Chemotherapy is being studied in clinical trials as a means of delaying, modifying or eliminating the need for radiation therapy in younger patients, as well as for use prior to or during radiation therapy. Treatment by type Treatment for childhood brain tumor depends on the type and grade of the tumor, its location within the brain, and your child's age and overall health. Your child may receive treatment that is considered standard based on its effectiveness in a number of patients in past studies, or you may choose to have your child enter a clinical trial. Not all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical trials are designed to test new treatments and to find better ways to treat people with cancer.
Clinical trials are ongoing in most parts of the country for childhood brain tumors.
For children younger than 3 years of age, chemotherapy may be given to delay, modify, or eliminate the use of radiation therapy. To ensure that it remains current, the information in PDQ is reviewed and updated each month by experts in the fields of cancer treatment, prevention, screening, and supportive care. The treatment information in this summary is based on information in the PDQ summary for health professionals on this cancer. How to use PDQ Cancer in children and adolescents is rare. The majority of children with cancer are treated at cancer centers with special facilities to treat childhood cancers.