How are malignant pediatric brain tumors treated?
For the best chance of a cure, treatment of malignant pediatric brain tumors begins with a pediatric brain tumor resection, followed by a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The goal of pediatric brain tumor resection is to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Surgery also restores the natural pathways in the brain. Radiation therapy uses X-ray energy or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. At Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, children benefit from intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). IMRT delivers high-doses of radiation to tumor cells without damaging surrounding healthy tissue. Chemotherapy is a medication that kills cancer cells or keeps them from dividing. Through our partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, children with brain tumors have access to promising new treatments not yet available at other hospitals. Why Le Bonheur? Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, in conjunction with St. Jude Children’s R
