Medulloblastoma
The Condition
Most commonly developing in the cerebellum (which controls coordination, balance, and other motor skills), medulloblastomas are slightly more common in boys than girls, and are most often found in school-aged children, 16 and under. These tumors are often cancerous and affect 250-500 children each year.
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The Treatment
We take into account the patient’s age and specifics of the tumor (whether it has spread and certain features of it) before deciding on a treatment. The plan may include surgery to remove all or part of the tumor, chemotherapy and/or radiation to kill cancer cells and stop them from growing, and supportive care to treat pain, fever, infection, nausea, vomiting, and additional symptoms. All patients will continue to be followed by the oncology team after treatment with resources, therapies, and surveillance imaging (MRIs) to ensure well-being.
The Nationwide Children’s Difference
Everyone comes together to work and treat patients in our Brain Tumor Program here at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. As one of the nation’s largest cancer treatment and research centers, we are leading the fight against childhood cancer, including medulloblastoma tumors. A multi-disciplinary team of providers (from oncologists to therapists) work with each other and the family to best provide care for your child.
The Ongoing Research
As a national leader in oncology research and clinical trials, there are many ongoing studies to understand why these tumors develop and how to appropriately target them. We are members of all major pediatric brain tumor clinical trial consortia including Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC), Collaborative Network of Neuro-Oncology Clinical Trials (CONNECT), Pacific Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC), and the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). Currently, we have many open clinical trials testing new drugs in tumors, including medulloblastomas.