What are the symptoms of a tumor in the brain or spinal cord?
Tumors of the central nervous system constitute the second most common cancer of childhood. Tumors can occur in any portion of the brain and spinal cord and can be benign or malignant. If the tumor develops in the brain, children usually develop headache, rapid head growth (in infants), and nausea with or without vomiting. If the tumor develops in the spinal cord, children can develop numbness, weakness, incontinence, or difficulty walking. How is a tumor in the brain or spinal cord evaluated? When a tumor is suspected, the first step is neuroimaging. Usually MRI scanning with and without a contrast agent is the preferred study. The contrast agent is a drug given intravenously which can provide additional detail of the tumor and surrounding nervous system structures. Once the MRI is completed, treatment decisions are made. Usually a surgical biopsy or resection is performed. Pathologic evaluation of the tumor directs subsequent treatment choices, which include chemotherapy and/or radia
