pediatrics
Overview of Central Nervous System Tumors in Children
Introduction
Central nervous system tumors are the most common solid cancer in children<15 years old and are the leading cause of childhood death due to cancer. Diagnosis is typically by imaging (usually MRI) and biopsy. Treatment may include surgical resection, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the leading cause of cancer mortality in children, accounting for 30% of deaths ( Reference ). The cause of most childhood central nervous system tumors is unknown, but two established risk factors are ionizing radiation (eg, high-dose cranial irradiation) and specific genetic syndromes (eg, Themost common central nervous system tumorsin children are (in order) Astrocytomas None Medulloblastoma None Ependymomas None 