Brain Tumors | Symptoms & Causes
What are the symptoms of a brain tumor?
Each child may experience symptoms of a brain tumor differently, and symptoms vary depending on the size and location of the tumor — both in the brain and elsewhere in the central nervous system.
Brain tumors can put pressure on the brain, causing symptoms such as:
- Headache
- Vomiting (usually in the morning)
- Nausea
- Personality changes
- Irritability
- Drowsiness
- Depression
Symptoms of brain tumors in the cerebellum, including cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma and medulloblastoma, can include:
- Vomiting (usually occurs in the morning, without nausea)
- Headache
- Uncoordinated muscle movements
- Problems walking
Brain tumors in the brainstem, such as diffuse midline glioma and tectal glioma, can cause the following symptoms:
- Vision changes, including double vision
- Paralysis of nerves and/or muscles of the face or half of the body
- Respiratory changes
- Clumsy, uncoordinated walking
Symptoms of brain tumors in the cerebrum, including ganglioglioma, glioblastoma multiforme, and oligodendroglioma, include:
- Seizures
- Visual changes
- Slurred speech
- Paralysis or weakness on one half of the body or face
- Personality changes or impaired judgment
- Short-term memory loss
- Communication problems
Tumors in the optic pathway (eyes), such as optic nerve glioma, may cause symptoms such as:
- Visual problems
- Puberty or growth abnormalities
- Excessive urination
Symptoms of tumors in the spine (sometimes spreading from a tumor at a higher point on the spinal cord), including meningioma, may include:
- Bowel or bladder dysfunction
- Back pain
- Weakness or loss of sensation in one area of the body, depending on where in the spine the tumor is located
What causes brain tumors?
Brain tumors may develop when brain cells acquire mutations in the DNA that allow the cells to continue living after they would normally expire.
Brain Tumors | Diagnosis & Treatments
How are brain tumors diagnosed?
Diagnostic procedures for brain tumors are used to determine the exact type of tumor a child has and whether the tumor has spread. These may include:
- Physical examination
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
- Computerized tomography (CT or CAT) scan
- Biopsy
- Lumbar puncture (spinal tap)
After all tests are completed, doctors will be able to outline the best treatment options.
How are brain tumors treated?
Treatment for brain tumors in children has progressed tremendously in the last decade. These treatments include neurosurgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
Neurosurgery for brain tumors
Surgery is often the first treatment to remove as much of the tumor as possible and to relieve pressure on the brain. In general, the more of the tumor that is removed, the greater the chance for survival.
Radiation therapy and chemotherapy for brain tumors
Precisely targeted and dosed radiation is used to kill cancer cells left behind after surgery. In tumors that have spread, radiation therapy can be sometimes delivered to the entire brain and spine. Chemotherapy includes drugs that interfere with cancer cells’ ability to grow or reproduce.
How we care for brain tumors
We treat children with brain tumors in the Brain Tumor Center at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.
