Pediatric Brain Tumor Facts

• Each year, approximately 2,900 children are diagnosed with a brain tumor

• Brain tumors are the leading cause of solid tumor cancer death in children under the age of 20, now surpassing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

• There are over 120 different types of brain tumors, which make effective treatment complicated. They can be malignant or non-malignant (benign), and in either case, can be just as injurious or life threatening

• At this time, brain tumor research is under funded and the public remains unaware of the magnitude of this disease. The cure rate for most brain tumors is significantly lower than that for many other types of cancer

• At present, brain tumors are treated by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, used individually or in combination

• Brain tumors in children are different from those in adults and are often treated differently. In addition, due to either the effects of the tumor or the treatment required to control it, survivors of childhood brain tumors often have long-term neurologic, cognitive, and psychosocial side-effects.

Links

• Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh

• The Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation

• CureSearch

• Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the U.S.

• The Tumbleweed Foundation

• Make A Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania & Southern West Virginia

• Sam's Family's Web Page