The brain is made of different kinds of cells. Childhood brain tumors are grouped and treated based on the type of cell the cancer formed in and where the tumor began growing in the CNS. Some types of tumors are divided into subtypes based on how the tumor looks under a microscope. See Table 1 for a list of tumor types and staging and treatment information for newly diagnosed and recurrent childhood brain tumors.
Table 1. The Staging and Treatment of Newly Diagnosed or Recurrent Tumors According to Tumor Type or Subtype
| Tumor Type | Tumor Subtype | Staging and Treatment of Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent Childhood Brain Tumors |
| Astrocytomas and Other Tumors of Glial Origin | ||
| – Low-Grade Astrocytomas | Diffuse fibrillary astrocytoma | See Childhood Astrocytomas Treatment for information on low-grade astrocytomas. |
| Gemistocytic astrocytoma | ||
| Oligoastrocytoma | ||
| Oligodendroglioma | ||
| Pilocytic astrocytoma | ||
| Pilomyxoid astrocytoma | ||
| Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma | ||
| Protoplasmic astrocytoma | ||
| Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma | ||
| – High-Grade Astrocytomas | Anaplastic astrocytoma | See Childhood Astrocytomas Treatment for information on high-grade astrocytomas. |
| Anaplastic oligoastrocytoma | ||
| Anaplastic oligodendroglioma | ||
| Giant cell glioblastoma | ||
| Glioblastoma | ||
| Gliomatosis cerebri | ||
| Gliosarcoma | ||
| Brain Stem Glioma | ||
| Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas | See Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Treatment. | |
| Focal or low-grade brain stem gliomas | ||
| Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors | ||
| – Medulloblastoma | Anaplastic | See Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment for information on medulloblastoma, central nervous system primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs), and tumors of the pineal region. |
| Classic | ||
| Desmoplastic/nodular | ||
| Large cell | ||
| Medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity | ||
| – Central Nervous System Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors (PNETs) | Central nervous system ganglioneuroblastoma | |
| Central nervous system neuroblastoma | ||
| Ependymoblastoma | ||
| Medulloepithelioma | ||
| – Tumors of the Pineal Region | Pineal parenchymal tumor of intermediate differentiation | |
| Pineoblastoma | ||
| Pineocytoma | ||
| Papillary tumor of the pineal region | ||
| – Central Nervous System Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor | See Childhood Central Nervous System Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor Treatment. | |
| Central Nervous System Germ Cell Tumors | ||
| – Germinomas | ||
| – Teratomas | Immature teratomas | |
| Mature teratomas | ||
| Teratomas with malignant transformation | ||
| – Non-Germinomatous Germ Cell Tumors | Choriocarcinoma | |
| Embryonal carcinoma | ||
| Mixed germ cell tumors | ||
| Yolk sac tumor | ||
| Craniopharyngioma | See Childhood Craniopharyngioma Treatment. | |
| Ependymoma | See Childhood Ependymoma Treatment. | |
| Tumors of the Choroid Plexus |
This information is produced and provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The information in this topic may have changed since it was written. For the most current information, contact the National Cancer Institute via the Internet web site at http://cancer.gov or call 1-800-4-CANCER.
Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors Treatment Overview
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