Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Childhood Brain Tumors
Brain tumors are abnormal growths inside the skull. They are among the most common types of childhood cancers. Some are benign tumors, which aren't cancer. They can still be serious. Malignant tumors are cancerous.
Childhood brain and spinal cord tumors can cause headaches and other symptoms. However, other conditions can also cause the same symptoms. Check with a doctor if your child has any of the following problems:
- Morning headache or headache that goes away after vomiting
- Frequent nausea and vomiting
- Vision, hearing, and speech problems
- Loss of balance or trouble walking
- Unusual sleepiness
- Personality changes
- Seizures
- Increased head size in infants
The symptoms are not the same in every child.
Doctors use physical and neurological exams, lab tests, and imaging to diagnose brain tumors. Most childhood brain tumors are diagnosed and removed in surgery.
Treatment for children is sometimes different than for an adult. Long-term side effects are an important issue. The options also depend on the type of tumor and where it is. Removal of the tumor is often possible. If not, radiation, chemotherapy, or both may be used.
It sits within Cancers, Children and Teenagers and Brain and Nerves.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Cancer Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Childhood Brain Tumors
388 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Engineered HSV-1 M032 for the Treatment of Children and Adults With Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Midline Glioma After Standard of Care RadiationM.D. Anderson Cancer Center
- HSV G207 in Children With Recurrent or Refractory Cerebellar Brain TumorsM.D. Anderson Cancer Center
- A Study of Strengthening Teen Brain Resilience Using Music During Cancer TreatmentMayo Clinic
- Evaluation of the Neurologic Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (pNANO)University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Pembrolizumab in Treating Younger Patients With Recurrent, Progressive, or Refractory High-Grade Gliomas, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas, Hypermutated Brain Tumors, Ependymoma or MedulloblastomaNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Radiation Induced Alterations in Resting State Brain Networks in Pediatric Brain Tumor PatientsWashington University School of Medicine
Research already completed
- Endocrine and Metabolic Late Effects After Childhood Brain Tumor TreatmentInstitute of Oncology Ljubljana
- Immunoadsorption Therapy in Managing NMDAR Antibodies EncephalitisAssistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Pediatric Brain Tumor FactsAmerican Brain Tumor Association
Diagnosis and Tests
- Tests for Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors in ChildrenAmerican Cancer Society
- Ultrasound: Head (For Parents)Nemours Foundation
Treatments and Therapies
- Childhood Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor TreatmentNational Cancer Institute
- Childhood Central Nervous System Germ Cell Tumors TreatmentNational Cancer Institute
- Treatment of Childhood MedulloblastomaNational Cancer Institute
- Types of Treatment for Childhood CraniopharyngiomaNational Cancer Institute
- Types of Treatment for Childhood EpendymomaNational Cancer Institute
- Types of Treatment for Childhood Glioma (Including Astrocytoma)National Cancer Institute
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention of Brain Tumors in ChildrenAmerican Cancer Society
Living With
- Children with Cancer: A Guide for ParentsNational Cancer Institute
- Examining the Psychological Impact of Childhood CancerAmerican Psychological Association
- Support for Families when a Child Has CancerNational Cancer Institute
Genetics
- Rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Statistics and Research
- Cancer in Children and AdolescentsNational Cancer Institute
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Childhood Brain TumorsNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Brain Neoplasms. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Childhood Brain Tumors, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.