What is an Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma? | Stages | Treatment Options | Treatment Side Effects | About Clinical Trials | Greenebaum Cancer Center
There are three primary treatment options for patients with childhood cerebellar astrocytoma:
More than one method of treatment may be used, depending on the needs of the patient.
If the tumor cannot be completely removed with surgery, radiation therapy may be given. Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation from x-rays and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy for childhood cerebellar astrocytoma usually comes from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy).
Surgery is the primary treatment for childhood cerebellar astrocytoma. Complete or near-complete removal of the tumor is often possible.
Because radiation therapy can affect a child's growth and development, chemotherapy may be given to delay or eliminate the need for radiation. Most chemotherapy drugs are injected into a vein (IV) or a muscle; some are given by mouth. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, meaning that the drugs flow through the bloodstream to nearly every part of the body to kill cancerous cells. It is generally given in cycles; a treatment period is followed by a recovery period, then another treatment period, and so on.