There are different types of treatment for children with brain stem glioma.

Different types of treatment are available for children with brain stem glioma. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment.

Because cancer in children is rare, taking part in a clinical trial should be considered. Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care team.

Children with brain stem glioma should have their treatment planned by a team of doctors with expertise in treating childhood brain tumors.

Your child’s treatment will be overseen by a pediatric oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating children with cancer. The pediatric oncologist may refer you to other pediatric doctors who have experience and expertise in treating children with brain tumors and who specialize in certain areas of medicine. These may include the following specialists:

• Neurosurgeon.
• Neuropathologist.
• Radiation oncologist.
• Neuro-oncologist.
• Neurologist.
• Rehabilitation specialist.
• Neuroradiologist.
• Endocrinologist.
• Psychologist.

Five types of standard treatment are used:

Surgery

Surgery is used to diagnose and treat childhood brain stem glioma as discussed in the General Information section of this summary.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.

Radiation therapy to the brain can affect growth and development in young children. Certain ways of giving radiation therapy can help keep radiation from damaging healthy tissue:

• Conformal radiation therapy uses a computer to create a 3-D picture of the tumor. The radiation beams are then shaped to fit the tumor.
• Hyperfractionated radiation therapy is a way of giving radiation therapy in smaller-than-usual doses two or three times a day instead of once a day.

The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. Radiation therapy may be used alone or in addition to chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly in the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.