Childhood Supratentorial PNET Treatment

by National Cancer Institute

(Page 2 of 2)

There are different types of treatment for children with supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors and pineoblastoma.

Different types of treatment are available for children with supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors and pineoblastoma. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the "standard" treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment.

Because cancer in children is rare, taking part in a clinical trial should be considered. Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Cancer.gov Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care team.

Children with supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors and pineoblastoma should have their treatment planned by a team of doctors with expertise in treating childhood brain tumors.

Your child's treatment will be overseen by a pediatric oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating children with cancer. The pediatric oncologist may refer you to other pediatric doctors who have experience and expertise in treating children with brain tumors and who specialize in certain areas of medicine. These may include the following specialists:

• Neurosurgeon.
• Neurologist.
• Neuropathologist.
• Neuroradiologist.
• Rehabilitation specialist.
• Radiation oncologist.
• Medical oncologist.
• Endocrinologist.
• Psychologist.

Three types of standard treatment are used:

Surgery

Surgery is used to diagnose and treat childhood supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors and pineoblastoma as described in the General Information 3 section of this summary.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly in the spinal column, a body cavity such as the abdomen, or an organ, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas. The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Because radiation therapy to the brain can affect growth and brain development in young children, clinical trials are studying ways of using chemotherapy to delay or reduce the need for radiation therapy.

Other types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.

Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Cancer.gov Web site.

Treatment Options for Childhood Supratentorial
Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Pineoblastoma

Untreated Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Pineoblastoma

Untreated childhood supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors and pineoblastoma are tumors for which no treatment has been given. The child may have received drugs or treatment to relieve symptoms caused by the tumor.

Standard treatment of supratentorial neuroectodermal tumors or pineoblastoma in children 3 years of age and older may include the following:

• Surgery.
• Surgery followed by radiation therapy to the whole brain and spinal cord.
• Surgery followed by radiation therapy to the whole brain and spinal cord, and chemotherapy.

Some of the treatments being studied in clinical trials for supratentorial neuroectodermal tumors or pineoblastoma in children 3 years of age and older include the following:

• A clinical trial of chemotherapy given before or after radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of chemotherapy to delay or reduce the need for radiation therapy.

Standard treatment of supratentorial neuroectodermal tumors or pineoblastoma in children younger than 3 years of age may include the following:

• Surgery.
• Surgery followed by chemotherapy.

One of the treatments being studied in clinical trials for supratentorial neuroectodermal tumors or pineoblastoma in children younger than 3 years of age includes chemotherapy to delay or reduce the need for radiation therapy.

Information about these and other ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Cancer.gov Web site.

Recurrent Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Pineoblastoma

Standard treatment of recurrent childhood supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors and pineoblastoma may include the following:

• Surgery.
• Chemotherapy.

New treatments are being studied in clinical trials for recurrent childhood supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors and pineoblastoma.

About the Author

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