Pediatric Brain and Central Nervous System Cancers

Brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) Cancers are the most common type of solid tumor in children, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all childhood cancers.

The most commonly diagnosed brain tumors include:

• Medulloblastomas (PNETs)
• Gliomas
• Astrocytoma
• Malignant gliomas
• Ependymoma

Children treated here have access to more clinical trials and new treatments than anywhere else in Minnesota. Many of the treatments now available to children with cancer were pioneered here at our National Cancer Institute-designated research facility, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. Our discoveries often become the standard of care for patients around the world.

Proving what works and making it available to patients

Patients undergoing treatment for brain tumors benefit from the work of Translational Working Groups, which are part of University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center. Close collaboration between knowledge experts from basic science, clinical research, and translational research make it possible for our patients to be among the first to benefit from clinical trial protocols.

Ours is the only institution with first-in-the-nation targeted therapies including pediatric blood brain barrier disruption therapies, vaccine therapy, and bone marrow transplant, all available under one roof to the child or young adult with a brain tumor.

Neurofibromatosis treatment and research

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder that affects multiple systems. The brain tumors associated with NF1 may become cancerous, and treatment may include surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Because NF1 patients live with a progressive disease, vigilant treatment is critical to lessen secondary damage while treating any specific NF-related condition.

Our multidisciplinary team leads the Minnesota Neurofibromatosis Clinic Without Walls. In collaboration with Gillette Children’s Specialty Hospital in St. Paul, we provide care to patients with neurofibromatosis from infancy through adulthood, and maintain strong ties to research in the field. We are members of the Children’s Tumor Foundation Neurofibromatosis Network.