Why aren all craniopharyngiomas treated with radiation therapy if it is effective against the tumor?
Many children who come to the hospital with a craniopharyngioma are often very sick with pressure symptoms or visual deficits. The radiation therapy does not work quickly enough to reduce these symptoms and surgery is often required emergently to deal with the pressure of the tumor and cyst. Once radiation therapy is given, it unfortunately does not have a guaranteed cure rate and it is still possible for tumors to regrow even years after initial treatment. The radiation treatment in addition has the potential for significant long term side effects – including effects on the child’s learning skills, hormonal status, and blood circulation to the brain – all because of the late damaging effects of radiation therapy to the brain of a developing child. There have been many recent advances in the technological delivery of radiation therapy, however, that may lessen the long-term likelihood of these complications. It is beyond the scope of this presentation to discuss radiation therapy and i
