Untreated Childhood Brain Stem Glioma

Untreated childhood brain stem glioma is a tumor for which no treatment has been given. The child may have received drugs or treatment to relieve symptoms caused by the tumor.

Standard treatment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma is usually radiation therapy.

Some of the treatments being studied in clinical trials for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma include the following:

• A clinical trial of chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of a new kind of treatment given during and/or after radiation therapy.

Information about these and other ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site

Standard treatment of focal or low-grade glioma may include the following:

• Surgery with or without radiation therapy.
• Cerebrospinal fluid diversion followed by watchful waiting.

Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site

Treatment of brain stem glioma in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 may be watchful waiting. The tumors are slow-growing in these children and may not need specific treatment for years.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with untreated childhood brain stem glioma.

Recurrent Childhood Brain Stem Glioma

Treatment of recurrent childhood brain stem glioma depends on the type of tumor, whether it comes back in the place in which it started or in another part of the brain, and the type of treatment previously given.

Standard treatment of recurrent diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma is usually palliative therapy, to relieve symptoms and improve the patient's quality of life. The patient may also be treated in a clinical trial of a new treatment. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Standard treatment of recurrent focal or low-grade childhood brain stem glioma may include the following:

• Surgery.
• Radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent childhood brain stem glioma.