Cerebellum (purple)
Each year around 22,000 new cases of brain or spinal cord cancer are in the United States. 1 Regarding cancers of the brain, there are several different types of the disease, which arise from a variety of calls that are found in the brain.
Tumors that start in the neuroectodermal cells in the cerebellum are referred to as medulloblastomas. This particular type of tumor belongs to a class of tumors called primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs), which occur more often in children than adults. These are highly malignant, fast-growing tumors that spread by the cerebrospinal fluid pathway.
Medulloblastomas are typically treated with one or more of the following treatment options:
- Surgery
- The first-line treatment for this form of brain cancer is surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible.
- Radiation Therapy
- Following surgery, medulloblastomas are usually treated with high doses of radiation directed to the area where the cancer originated. Since these tumors tend to spread through the cerebrospinal fluid, lower doses of radiation may be given to the entire brain as well as the spinal cord in order to kill any remaining cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy
- Treatment with chemotherapy usually takes place following radiation therapy. However, if a medulloblastoma is diagnosed in a child under the age of three, chemotherapy is typically given first as little radiation as possible is used on children.
References
- American Cancer Society. Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors in Adults Detailed Guide. Accessed on November 10, 2010.
