Brain Tumor Center

Childhood Ependymoma

Stages

If a child has a childhood ependymoma, the doctor will order additional tests to learn more about the tumor. If a biopsy specimen is taken, the tumor cells will be examined carefully under a microscope to see how they look compared to normal cells. This will determine the grade of the tumor. Cells from higher-grade, more abnormal-looking tumors usually grow faster and are more cancerous than cells from lower-grade tumors. The child's doctor needs to know the type and grade of tumor in order to plan treatment.

There is no staging for childhood ependymoma. The type of treatment given depends on the grade of the tumor, its location, and whether or not your child has received previous treatment.

Newly Diagnosed Childhood Ependymoma:

A tumor that has not been treated yet. The patient may have received drugs or treatment to alleviate symptoms caused by the tumor prior to the diagnosis. Children with newly diagnosed ependymoma will often undergo surgery to try to remove the tumor and evaluate the extent of the disease. Patients may receive radiation therapy following surgery. Clinical trials are evaluating the role of radiation therapy and chemotherapy in childhood ependymoma.

Recurrent Childhood Ependymoma:

An ependymoma that has returned after it has been treated. It may recur in the brain or in another part of the body. It is not uncommon to have ependymomas recur as late as 15+ years after treatment. If the patient relapses, he or she will be evaluated to determine the extent of recurrent disease. Treatment will depend on the length of time since previous treatment, the extent of disease at the time of the relapse, and what treatment he or she originally received. Patients may undergo surgery to remove part or all of the tumor. Patients who have not previously received radiation therapy and chemotherapy may receive one or both of these treatments.

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