Childhood Astrocytoma
Childhood Brain Stem Glioma
Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors
Childhood Central Nervous System Germ Cell Tumors
Childhood Craniopharyngioma
Childhood Ependymoma
Childhood Medulloblastoma
Childhood Spinal Cord Tumors
Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Pineoblastoma
Childhood Visual Pathway and Hypothalamic Glioma

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Childhood astrocytomas include both low-grade and high-grade astrocytomas. See the PDQ summaries on Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma/Malignant Glioma Treatment, Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma Treatment, and Childhood Visual Pathway and Hypothalamic Glioma Treatment.

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Treatment for information.

Childhood central nervous system (CNS) embryonal tumors include ependymoblastoma, medulloblastoma, medulloepithelioma, pineal parenchymal tumors, pineoblastoma, and supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors.(See the PDQ summaries on Childhood Medulloblastoma Treatment and Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Pineoblastoma Treatment for information.)

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with childhood embryonal tumor.

Treatment of childhood CNS germ cell tumors may include:

• Radiation therapy, usually to the whole brain and spine.
• Chemotherapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with childhood central nervous system germ cell tumor.

Treatment of childhood craniopharyngioma may include the following:

• Surgery and/or radiation therapy, which may include internal or external radiation therapy or stereotactic radiosurgery.
• Regional chemotherapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with childhood craniopharyngioma.

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Ependymoma Treatment for information.

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Medulloblastoma Treatment for information.

Treatment of childhood spinal cord tumors may include the following:

• Surgery with or without radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy. (In very young children, chemotherapy is used only for low-grade tumors.)

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with childhood spinal cord neoplasm.

See the PDQ treatment summary on Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors and Pineoblastoma Treatment for information.

See the PDQ summary on Childhood Visual Pathway and Hypothalamic Glioma Treatment for information.

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