Newly Diagnosed Childhood Ependymoma

Newly diagnosed childhood ependymoma is a tumor that has not been treated. The patient may have received drugs or treatment, however, to relieve symptoms caused by the tumor.

Initial treatment for newly diagnosed childhood ependymoma is usually surgery, with or without additional treatment.

After surgery, treatment depends on the age of the child, the amount of tumor that was removed, and whether cancer cells have spread to other parts of the central nervous system.

When the tumor is completely removed by surgery and cancer cells have not spread within the central nervous system, treatment may include the following:

• Radiation therapy to the tumor bed (where the tumor was before it was removed), for children aged 3 years or older.
• A clinical trial of watchful waiting, for children aged 1 year or older.
• A clinical trial of conformal radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy.

When a part of the tumor remains after surgery, but cancer cells have not spread within the central nervous system, treatment may include the following:

• Second-look surgery.
• Radiation therapy to the tumor bed, for children aged 3 years or older.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy followed by second-look surgery and conformal radiation therapy, for children aged 1 year or older.

When cancer cells have spread within the central nervous system, treatment may include the following:

• Radiation therapy to the whole brain and spine.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about these and other ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with newly diagnosed childhood ependymoma.

Recurrent Childhood Ependymoma

Standard treatment of recurrent childhood ependymomas may include the following:

• Surgery.
• Radiation therapy, including stereotactic radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy.

New treatments for recurrent childhood ependymomas are being studied in clinical trials. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

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