Medulloblastoma Program |Overview
Children withmedulloblastomawho come toDana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Centerare treated by brain tumor specialists and pediatric subspecialists with expertise in treating these rare but invasive tumors.在显微镜下，髓母细胞瘤看起来类似于其他脑肿瘤，例如松树细胞瘤和原始的神经外科肿瘤，但是髓母细胞瘤的行为不同，可能需要不同的治疗计划。我们的髓母细胞瘤计划中的专家具有准确诊断这些肿瘤所需的专业知识，并提供了针对每个患者需求量身定制的个性化治疗计划。
Dana-Farber/Boston Children's patients who come for treatment at our Medulloblastoma Program have access to the broadest set of pediatric and oncologic expertise available. The breadth of our expertise allows us to assemblea team of expertsto meet the specific needs of our patients.
At the core of the treatment team is a neuro-oncologist with expertise in treating medulloblastoma. Many of our brain tumor specialists are also active researchers, so our patients have access to clinical trials and advanced treatments.
How we approach medulloblastomas
Treatments for medulloblastoma are based on several factors, including the child’s age, overall health, and medical history; type, location, and size of the tumor; the extent of disease; and the doctor’s expectations for how the tumor will behave.
Neurosurgery is almost always used to remove the tumor and relieve the symptoms of hydrocephalus, a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid that causes increased pressure in the brain, a hallmark of these cancers. During surgery, an intra-operativeMRIis used to help ensure that as much of the tumor is removed as safely as possible. An endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) or a ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt may also be used to relieve pressure. Following surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy may be used to kill off any remaining cancer cells. This may include the use of new biologic agents that target specific mutations in these tumors.
Research and clinical trials
Our clinical research program offers unique access toclinical trialsin which children can receive research-focused medulloblastoma treatments. We are consistently one of the most highly funded pediatric brain tumor centers in the United States. A major focus of our research program is the rapid translation of scientific discoveries to the bedside to benefit patients. Through their research, our physician-scientists found they could group medulloblastomas into specific subtypes, each with a unique fingerprint, which provides a first step to taking a personalized medicine approach to treating these tumors. Based on these results, specific molecularly targeted clinical trials for patients with two of these subgroups are now underway.