Singapore 2017
Pediatric Brain Tumour Awareness
"If the brain were so simple that we could understand it,
we would be so simple that we couldn't."
- Emerson M. Pugh
Understanding Pediatric Brain Tumours
What is a Brain Tumour?
A brain tumour is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain or spinal cord that can affect brain function.
A tumour is described based on where the tumour cells originate (primary or metastatic), and whether it is cancerous (benign or malignant).
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Primary: tumours that originate from brain cells
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Metastatic: tumours originating from other parts of the body that subsequently spread to the brain, more common than primary brain tumors
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Benign: less aggressive type of brain tumour, does not contain cancer cells, grows slowly, and typically do not spread to other tissues
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Malignant: contains cancer cells, grows rapidly and invades surrounding brain tissue
​Brain Tumours in Children
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In Singapore and also around the world, brain tumours make up the 2nd most common type of childhood cancer, accounting for 20% of paediatric cancers. Approximately 24 new cases of brain tumour in children younger than the age of 15 are diagnosed every year in Singapore.
Brain tumours make up the most common cause of death from cancer in childhood, accounting for â…“ of deaths. This means that in children who die from cancer, 1 out of 3 dies from brain cancer.
Most childhood cancers have a cure rate of 80%, but brain cancers are only moderately curable at 60%, depending on tumour type, location, age of child, and rate of recurrence. Childhood brain cancers are also associated with long-term sequelae on growth and neurological development.
The causes of brain tumours in children are largely unknown, although some children may have a genetic predisposition.
Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
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Symptoms of a brain tumour can vary depending on tumour type and location, as well as the age of the child. Some patients may also have no symptoms at diagnosis. As the brain is a complex organ that governs learning, memory, senses, emotions, muscles, and other organs, symptoms of a brain tumour make up a diverse spectrum:
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Recurrent headaches: wakes child up at night, worse in morning
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Persistent nausea and vomiting with no known cause
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Personality changes
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Progressive weakness or clumsiness
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Vision changes
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Seizures
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Memory loss
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Problems with speech and/or comprehension
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Disproportionate increase in head size in infants
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Delay in reaching developmental milestones
Reaching the diagnosis of a brain tumour can be a complicated and long-drawn process, especially since some of the presenting symptoms are vague and can be mistaken for other conditions. A brain scan, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is often the step that clinches a definitive diagnosis. A biopsy may subsequently be necessary to establish how aggressive the tumour can behave, in order to guide treatment choices.