Brain tumors in children

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We created the Midwest’s first pediatric brain tumor center more than 20 years ago, knowing that children need care just for them. Our reputation for excellence tempered with compassion for each child draws families to us from all over the Midwest. We have the expertise and advanced equipment needed to treat a wide range of brain tumors – including the rare and complex – at the Brain Tumor Center at Advocate Children's Hospital.

Partnering with cancer centers at Advocate Children’s Hospital lets us offer a complete range of the latest treatments such as proton therapy. Neurosurgeons, oncologists and other team members tailor plans to your child’s specific needs. An advanced practice nurse serves as your family’s dedicated guide all along the way. We offer comprehensive support services for your child and your family.

Committed to collaboration: Watch how our team of experts works closely together to deliver the best care for your child.

What are brain tumors?

While children’s brains make new cells for development and repair, unwanted cells occasionally multiply because of a glitch. These cells can form a lump or tumor. Brain tumors often develop in different parts of the brain in children than in adults and act differently, too. But children frequently respond better to treatment.

Other aspects of pediatric brain tumors include:

Secondary vs. primary: Secondary brain tumors occur when cancer starts elsewhere in the body and spreads. Primary brain tumors begin in the brain. They represent the majority of pediatric brain tumors.
Benign vs. malignant: Many pediatric brain tumors are benign, meaning they’re not cancerous but can still affect the brain and likely need treatment. Malignant brain tumors are cancerous but are often successfully treated, particularly if caught early.
Grading: When possible, doctors remove tumor tissue and study it with a microscope. They can determine the tumor’s likely aggressiveness and assign it a grade. Low-grade tumors grow slowly, with less harm to nearby tissues. High-grade tumors grow more quickly and often invade neighboring tissue. They usually need more intense treatment.

Treatments at the Brain Tumor Center at Advocate Children’s Hospital

We work closely with your family to develop a plan that works for your child. Treatment recommendations depend on your child’s age, as well as on the type, grade and location of the tumor. Each month more than a dozen of our team members gather to pool their expertise and discuss the best options.

While surgery is often enough to treat lower-grade tumors, children with aggressive cancers may need more. Through our cancer care partners, we provide the full range of treatments.

Regardless of the specific recommendations, we work to relieve symptoms and minimize side effects. We also focus on the fact that children are still developing and that critical brain areas need protection. We support your family and help you navigate the many decisions and questions likely to come up along the way.

While not always possible, surgery to remove the tumor is usually the main treatment approach and sometimes the only one needed. We can perform both minimally invasive procedures and open surgery.

During operations, our neurosurgeons use special brain mapping to protect critical areas that handle language, movement and the senses. While these crucial sections are generally located in the same spots in all brains, navigation helps capture specific individual variations.

Brain mapping occurs while your child is under anesthesia. The neurosurgeon uses a small electric current to stimulate parts of your child's brain and a special machine to measure responses. These responses are used to decide how much tissue to safely remove.

If a tumor is cancerous, our team may give your child medication to either destroy cancer cells or stop them from growing. A medical oncologist may recommend chemotherapy before surgery to shrink a tumor or afterward to catch any remaining cancerous cells. Sometimes the medications are placed directly in the brain or cerebrospinal fluid.

High energy X-rays and other forms of radiation can target and destroy cancer cells. While radiation therapy is not as widely used in children because of their developing brains, our radiation oncologists determine when it’s needed. Options include intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and newer proton therapy.

From meeting other families during treatment to making sure cancer doesn’t return, we’re here to help with whatever you may need. We work to protect your child’s physical and mental health, while easing stresses for your family and providing encouragement.

In addition to your medical providers, our support team includes:

Child Life specialist
Neuropsychologist
Physical therapists and occupational therapists
School coordinator
Social worker
Survivorship coordinator

Our services include:

Clinic for follow-up care to check your child’s health and discuss how they’re doing socially and educationally
Family support including events for teens and young adults who have gone through brain tumor care
Pediatric Oncology Survivors in Transition (POST) program to help children move beyond treatment
School support to help make adjustments for your child’s education during and after treatment

Types of brain tumors in children

While there are many types of brain tumors, most occur among a few categories in children. Some can also affect the spine, though spinal tumors occur less often than brain tumors in children. We have the experience to treat all types of pediatric spine and brain tumors:

These tumors develop between the brain and the pituitary gland, which makes hormones. They also sit close to the optic nerves. While they grow slowly, they can affect hormone production and vision.

Read about Shannon's treatment for craniopharyngioma.

Embryonal tumors form from developing cells in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spine. They often grow quickly and include:

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs)
Embryonal tumors with multilayered rosettes (ETMRs)
Medulloblastomas
Medulloepithelioma

Read about Bobby's treatment for medulloblastoma.

A glioma is a tumor formed from glial cells, the “glue” or structural support of the brain and spine. While low-grade gliomas are more common, children can also develop high-grade tumors. Types of gliomas include:

Astrocytomas
Brain stem glioma
Ependymomas
Glioblastomas
Oligodendrogliomas

Read about Colleen, Gracie and Joshua's treatments for astrocytomas.

Read about Andrew, Matt and Stuart's treatments for ependymomas.

These tumors develop in the center of the brain, in a section called the pineal gland. The most common form is pineoblastoma, which grows quickly.

What causes brain tumors in children?

Doctors typically don’t know what causes brain cells to multiply uncontrollably and form a tumor. But some children have identifiable genetic changes that get passed down from parents or randomly occur during development in the womb. These genetic conditions make them more likely to develop a brain tumor and include:

Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Neurofibromatosis
Tuberous sclerosis
Von Hippel-Lindau disease

Our genetics program can help if one of these disorders runs in your family or your doctor suspects a genetic cause. Genetic counselors can help you decide if genetic testing is right for your family.

Most common brain tumor symptoms in children

Pediatric brain tumors can cause a variety of symptoms, including symptoms that overlap with other conditions. They can also lead to complications such as fluid buildup in the brain (hydrocephalus) or a movement disorder called dystonia.

What a child experiences depends on the tumor’s type, aggressiveness and location, since different parts of the brain play different roles. Symptoms and signs of a brain tumor may include:

Back pain or headaches
Balance and walking challenges
Fatigue or weakness
Hard time learning or remembering
Nausea and vomiting
Personality changes
Problems hearing or seeing
Seizures

Brain tumor diagnosis in children

Determining if your child has a brain tumor starts with a full exam by one of our neurologists. Learn more about what to expect from a neurological exam.

To confirm a brain tumor diagnosis and determine its characteristics, we may also use:

Blood tests: We draw a sample of blood to check for certain chemicals (tumor markers) that some tumors produce.
Hormone tests: We take a sample of blood to determine how a tumor might affect pituitary gland function and hormone levels.
Imaging: Our neuroradiologists use scans to see the size and location of the tumor, as well as whether it has spread if it’s cancerous. We use MRIs most often. We may also recommend computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
Lumbar puncture: We may want to sample some of the cerebrospinal fluid that protects the brain and spinal cord.
Tissue analysis: We remove tissue for evaluation through surgery to take out the whole tumor or a minimally invasive biopsy. In addition to our neuropathologist studying the cells under a microscope, we can identify genetic changes in the tumor that drive growth. These changes can help us choose the appropriate treatments.