Childhood Brain Cancer
A new approach to treating childhood brain tumors leaves parents with a tough decision.
More than 2,000 children suffer from brain tumors each year in the U.S. Many times, the treatment is as bad, if not worse, than the disease itself. Now, a new approach offers hope -- but not without risk.
Marianna Sanchez has always had a lot to smile about.
"She was such a healthy child, not even a cold," says her mom.
But one day, everything changed.
"She said her head felt like it was going to explode," she remembers.
An MRI detected a very serious brain tumor, known as Medulloblastoma.
"We can cure this, but there are going to be costs, and I think that's probably one ofo the more difficult things I ever have to say to a family," says Dr. Paul Fisher, a Pediatric Neuro-oncologist.
Dr. Fisher says surgery is the easy part.
"That's where the tumor has been successfully removed," he says.
What happens after surgery is more complicated. Without chemo and radiation, the tumor almost always returns. But radiation can cause brain damage -- and possibly even a lower IQ.
"There's a chance they could, say a 2- or 3-year-old, could wind up being mentally retarded," says Dr. Fisher.
Now, some doctors are trying lower doses of radiation to minimize the chance of brain damage. But that could be risky. Here's why.
Some studies show the survival rate is about the same. But others show it may be as much as 10-percent lower. It's a tough decision for parents. Marianna's family chose lower-dose radiation.
"When they mentioned the tradeoff of the mental damage, you know, I said I couldn't do this to her. We were very focused on not changing her, kind of her going into this thing and coming out the same person," says Mariana's mom.
For Marianna, it's paid off. Two years later, she's cancer-free and past the point when most tumors return.
Medulloblastoma is the most common cancerous brain tumor in children.
Doctors believe it's caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
The typical survival rate for children with these types of brain turmors is between 60 and 80 percent.
Log on to www.ivanhoe.com for more information.
http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=3648587
More than 2,000 children suffer from brain tumors each year in the U.S. Many times, the treatment is as bad, if not worse, than the disease itself. Now, a new approach offers hope -- but not without risk.
Marianna Sanchez has always had a lot to smile about.
"She was such a healthy child, not even a cold," says her mom.
But one day, everything changed.
"She said her head felt like it was going to explode," she remembers.
An MRI detected a very serious brain tumor, known as Medulloblastoma.
"We can cure this, but there are going to be costs, and I think that's probably one ofo the more difficult things I ever have to say to a family," says Dr. Paul Fisher, a Pediatric Neuro-oncologist.
Dr. Fisher says surgery is the easy part.
"That's where the tumor has been successfully removed," he says.
What happens after surgery is more complicated. Without chemo and radiation, the tumor almost always returns. But radiation can cause brain damage -- and possibly even a lower IQ.
"There's a chance they could, say a 2- or 3-year-old, could wind up being mentally retarded," says Dr. Fisher.
Now, some doctors are trying lower doses of radiation to minimize the chance of brain damage. But that could be risky. Here's why.
Some studies show the survival rate is about the same. But others show it may be as much as 10-percent lower. It's a tough decision for parents. Marianna's family chose lower-dose radiation.
"When they mentioned the tradeoff of the mental damage, you know, I said I couldn't do this to her. We were very focused on not changing her, kind of her going into this thing and coming out the same person," says Mariana's mom.
For Marianna, it's paid off. Two years later, she's cancer-free and past the point when most tumors return.
Medulloblastoma is the most common cancerous brain tumor in children.
Doctors believe it's caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
The typical survival rate for children with these types of brain turmors is between 60 and 80 percent.
Log on to www.ivanhoe.com for more information.
http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=3648587
posted by Klip7 at
12:33 AM
