Brain Tumor Center

Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma

Treatment Options

There are three primary treatment options for patients with childhood cerebellar astrocytoma:

radiation therapy
surgery
chemotherapy

More than one method of treatment may be used, depending on the needs of the patient.

Radiation Therapy:

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:

Surgery is the primary treatment for childhood cerebellar astrocytoma. Complete or near-complete removal of the tumor is often possible.

Chemotherapy:

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.

This page was last updated on: February 6, 2008.