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Brain tumor - children
Definition:
A tumor is any growth of abnormal cells, or the uncontrolled growth of cells. This article is about primary brain tumors. These start in the brain, rather than spreading to the brain from another part of the body. See also: Text Continues Below
Alternative Names:
Glioblastoma multiforme - children; Ependymoma - children; Glioma - children; Astrocytoma - children; Medulloblastoma - children; Neuroglioma - children; Oligodendroglioma - children; Meningioma - children; Cancer - brain tumor (children)
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Primary brain tumors include any tumor that starts in the brain. Tumors may be confined to a small area, invasive (spread to nearby areas), benign (not cancerous), or malignant (cancerous). Tumors can directly destroy brain cells. They can also indirectly damage cells by producing inflammation, compressing other parts of the brain as the tumor grows, causing swelling in the brain, and increasing pressure within the skull. Brain tumors are classified depending on the exact site of the tumor, the type of tissue involved, benign or malignant tendencies of the tumor, and other factors. The cause of primary brain tumors is unknown. Tumors may occur at any age, but many specific tumors have a particular age group in which they are most common. The most common childhood brain tumors are gliomas, astrocytomas, medulloblastomas, ependymomas, and brain stem gliomas. Most brain tumors are rare in the first year of life. Childhood nervous system tumors may be classified as either infratentorial (located below the tentorium cerebelli), meaning they are in the back third of the brain, or as supratentorial, meaning they are in the front two-thirds of the brain.
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