Brain tumors are relatively rare in adults. However, in children, they contribute to a higher proportion of all tumors. Brain tumors are the second most common type of cancer after leukemia that affects children under the age of 12, according to the Brain Tumor Foundation of India.
There is also a difference in the site of origin, tumor type, and behavior of brain tumors in adults and children. In adults, metastasis from a tumor to other parts of the body or a secondary tumor is quite common, while children more often develop primary brain tumors that originate in the brain itself. Even primary brain tumors of adults and children differ: Adults have more tumors in the upper part of the brain that affect memory, behavior, etc. while children have more tumors in the lower part of the brain and in the back of the brain that affect their movement, coordination abilities and vision, etc.
Fortunately, survival rates in children are better than in adults for this dreaded disease. In adults, the 5-year survival rate with brain metastases is less than 5 percent and, for primary brain tumors, it is about 30 percent. By comparison, more than 50 percent of children with a brain tumor are cured with current aging treatment protocols in developed countries. Of course, the characteristics of the tumor, such as the cells of origin and the degree of aggressiveness, as well as the stage at the time of diagnosis, affect survival. For example, gliomas, which account for nearly 50 percent of all CNS tumors in children and adolescents, have survival rates of 75-85 percent at 5 years, while more aggressive tumors in children such as glioblastoma they have a 20-25 percent survival rate. only.
Representative image. Image courtesy of MaxPixel.
What are the risk factors for brain tumors in children?
Brain tumors do not have a specific cause or risk factors related to lifestyle. But having a family history of brain tumors can put children at greater risk. Also, children with genetic conditions such as neurofibromatosis or tuberous sclerosis are at increased risk of developing brain tumors. Frequent physical examinations and diagnostic tests are often recommended to ensure that a tumor can be detected at a very early stage.
What are the red flags for a brain tumor in children?
Since early diagnosis helps better survival, the logical question is: what signs and symptoms should alert us for a child to be screened for a brain tumor. The most common symptoms are headache, vomiting, changes in vision, or swelling or growth in the eyes. There are defined criteria that doctors use to investigate a child, using brain imaging (usually MRI or CT):
- A headache that has lasted more than 4 weeks, with any of these complaints.
- Wake a child from sleep
- Occurs upon waking
- Occurs in a child
- Vomiting on waking a couple of times, without gastrointestinal discomfort.
- Movement-related problems, such as movement weakness in the face, arms, or legs, abnormal walking, or lack of coordination
- Vision related complaints such as new strabismus, inability to see in a particular direction, wandering eye, etc. How to get in shape for the first time, without fever
What treatment options are there?
The mainstay of treatment for brain tumors has been surgery and radiation therapy. Most adult brain tumors do not respond well to chemotherapy. However, radiation, while well tolerated in adults, can actually impede the normal development of a child’s brain and can lead to life-long complications. Also, brain tumors in children respond better to chemotherapy. Therefore, radiation is increasingly being avoided and chemotherapy is being added to treatment protocols for childhood brain tumors.
A 5-year-old boy with a brain tumor lies down on a stretcher when he arrives with his parents. Reuters
What research and innovation are happening in the area?
Better treatment options are being explored, each focusing on a different aspect of tumor cell behavior, the brain itself or the surgical technique, etc.
While molecular research is working to identify proteins whose supply, if broken, will reduce the growth or even survival of tumor cells, genetic research is trying to identify gene sequences that are altered in tumor cells as a target for gene therapy.
The most refined surgical techniques, such as endoscopic surgery, etc. the scope and precision of surgery are increasing, while better identification of tumor cells is being explored with techniques such as stimulated Raman scattering microscopy.
There is hope that in the next decade or two we can save more children from brain tumors, just as we have managed to increase survival in the most common childhood cancer, leukemia.
Coping with emotional turmoil.
It could be heartbreaking for parents to learn that their child has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. It may be very difficult for them to explain the situation to the child. However, it is imperative, to be honest, and give the child all the details based on his emotional maturity. This will help your child understand why he is undergoing this treatment.
You should also try to contact and talk with parents and children who have already faced such a situation. This can help you understand how to stay emotionally stable and strong during this journey of recovery.
The author is a senior consultant on the medical team at docprime.com
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