Is a brain tumor in a child a hidden mortal danger? Brain tumor in a child The first signs of brain cancer in a teenager.

Annually there are fifteen episodes for every hundred thousand children's lives. In terms of fifteen years of childhood, this means that out of one hundred thousand peers, almost two hundred children get cancer every year.

There are also more optimistic statistics, according to which the majority of childhood cancers can be successfully treated. This applies to tumors detected at the very initial stage of their development. In the case of advanced diseases, the likelihood of a favorable outcome decreases significantly.

Unfortunately, the number of children who contract cancer and are admitted to the clinic at the very beginning of the diagnosis of the disease is no more than 10% of the total number of cases. In order for parents not to miss the first warning signs and to show their child to the doctor in a timely manner, they must know the symptoms of the main childhood oncological diseases.

Classification of cancer in children

Malignant tumors in children are:

Embryonic.
Juvenile.
Tumors of the adult type.

Embryonic

Tumors of this group are a consequence of a pathological process in germ cells.

The result is an uncontrolled growth of mutated cells, the histology of which, however, indicates their similarity to the tissues and cells of the fetus (or embryo).

This group consists of:

Blastoma tumors: , .
A number of fairly rare germ cell tumors.

Juvenile

This group of cancers occurs in children and adolescents as a result of the formation of cancer cells from completely healthy or partially altered cells.

Malignancy may suddenly affect a polyp, benign neoplasm or gastric ulcer.

Juvenile tumors include:

carcinoma;

Adult tumors

This type of illness is rarely observed in childhood. These include:

carcinomas (nasopharyngeal and hepatocellular);

Why do children get sick?

Until now, medicine has not established the exact causes of cancer in children. We can only assume that the prerequisites for the development of cancerous tumors are the following:

Genetically determined predisposition. Some types of cancer (for example, retinoblastoma) can be traced in several generations of the same family, although this does not exclude the possibility of the birth of healthy offspring. Cancer is not inherited.
Influence of carcinogenic factors. This concept combines environmental pollution (soil, air and water) with a large amount of industrial waste, the effects of radiation, the effects of viruses, as well as the abundance of artificial materials in the environment of modern apartments.
Carcinogenic factors, affecting the germ cells of the parent couple, damage them and thereby contribute to improper intrauterine development of the fetus, the occurrence of a large number of congenital deformities and embryonic cancers.

Symptoms and signs of oncology by type

Early recognition of alarming symptoms not only guarantees a complete recovery of the child, but also allows for treatment using the most gentle and inexpensive methods.

In this section of our article we provide a list of symptoms that characterize different types of childhood cancer.

If similar symptoms are detected, the parents of a sick child should show him to a qualified specialist as soon as possible.

Leukemia

Synonyms for this malignant disease of the hematopoietic system are the terms “” and “”. It accounts for more than a third of all childhood cancers.

At the first stage of leukemia development, healthy bone marrow cells are first displaced and then replaced by cancerous ones.

Symptoms of leukemia are the following:

fatigue;
lethargy and muscle weakness;
anemic skin;
lack of appetite and sudden loss of body weight;
increased body temperature;
frequent bleeding;
painful sensations in diarthrosis and bones;
significant enlargement of the liver and spleen, resulting in an enlarged abdomen;
frequent vomiting;
presence of shortness of breath;
noticeable enlargement of the lymph nodes located in the armpits, neck and groin area;
visual disturbances and unbalanced walking;
tendency to form hematomas and redness of the skin.

Brain and spinal cord cancer

Cancerous brain tumors appear in children 5-10 years old and manifest themselves in the following symptoms:

unbearable morning headaches, aggravated by coughing and turning the head;
attacks of vomiting on an empty stomach;
impaired coordination of movements;
gait imbalance;
vision disorders;
the appearance of hallucinations;
complete indifference and apathy.

Brain cancer is characterized by the appearance of seizures, obsessions and mental disorders. A sick child's head may increase in size. If you do not show it to a doctor in time, after six months of continuous headaches, signs of mental retardation will begin to appear with an inevitable decrease in intelligence and physical abilities.

Symptoms of spinal cord cancer:

back pain that worsens when lying down and subsides while sitting;
difficulty bending the body;
gait disturbance;
pronounced scoliosis;
loss of sensitivity in the affected area;
urinary and fecal incontinence due to poor functioning of the sphincters.

Wilms tumor

This is the name for nephroblastoma or kidney cancer (most often one, sometimes both). This disease usually affects children under three years of age.

Due to the complete absence of complaints, the disease is discovered completely by accident, usually during a routine examination.

At the initial stage there is no pain.
In the advanced stage, the tumor is extremely painful. By squeezing neighboring organs, it leads to asymmetry of the abdomen.
The baby refuses to eat and loses weight.
The temperature rises slightly.
Diarrhea develops.

Neuroblastoma

This type of cancer affects only children's sympathetic nervous system. In the vast majority of cases, it is observed in children under five years of age. The location of the tumor is the abdomen, chest, neck, pelvis, and bones are often affected.

Characteristic features:

limping, complaints of bone pain;
increased sweating;
loss of strength;
pale skin;
elevated temperature;
disruption of the intestines and bladder;
swelling of the face, throat, swelling around the eyes.

Retinoblastoma

This is the name of a malignant tumor of the retina, characteristic of infants and preschoolers. A third of all cases involve the retina of both eyes. In 5% of children, the disease ends in complete blindness.

The affected eye turns red, the baby complains of severe pain in it.
Some children develop strabismus, while others develop a symptom of a luminous “cat's eye”, caused by protrusion of the tumor beyond the border of the lens. It can be seen through the pupil.

Rhabdomyosarcoma

This is the name of a cancerous tumor of connective or muscle tissue that affects infants, preschoolers and schoolchildren. Most often, the location of rhabdomyosarcoma is the neck and head, somewhat less often - the urinary organs, the area of the upper and lower extremities, and least often - the torso.

Signs:

painful swelling at the site of the lesion;
“rolling out” of the eyeball;
sharp decrease in vision;
hoarse voice and difficulty swallowing (if localized in the neck);
prolonged abdominal pain, constipation and vomiting (if the abdominal cavity is affected);
yellowness of the skin (with bile duct cancer).

Osteosarcoma

This is a cancer that affects the long bones (humerus and femur) of adolescents. The leading symptom of osteosarcoma is pain in the affected bones, which tends to intensify at night. At the beginning of the disease, the pain is short-term. A few weeks later, visible swelling appears.

Ewing's sarcoma

This disease, typical for adolescents 10-15 years old, is a scourge for the tubular bones of the upper and lower extremities. There have been rare cases of damage to the ribs, shoulder blades and collarbones. To the symptoms characteristic of, sudden weight loss and fever are added. Late stages are characterized by unbearable pain and paralysis.

This is cancer of the lymphatic tissues or is typical for adolescents.

The photographs show children with cancer of the lymphatic tissues

Symptoms:

painless and slightly enlarged lymph nodes either disappear or reappear;
Sometimes itchy skin, profuse sweating, weakness, and fever appear.

Diagnostics

The satisfactory well-being of children, characteristic even of late stages of cancer, is the main reason for their late recognition.

Therefore, regular preventive examinations play a huge role in the timely detection and initiation of treatment of the disease.

At the slightest suspicion of a cancerous tumor, the doctor prescribes a series of laboratory tests (blood, urine) and studies (MRI, ultrasound,).
The final diagnosis is made based on the results of a biopsy (a sample of tumor tissue). Histology allows us to determine the stage of cancer. The tactics of further treatment depend on the stage. For cancer of the hematopoietic organs, a bone marrow puncture is taken.

Treatment

Treatment of childhood cancers is carried out in specialized departments of children's clinics and in research centers.
The impact on cancerous tumors of the hematopoietic organs is carried out using and methods. All other types of tumors are treated surgically.
After discharge from the clinic, a long course of therapeutic treatment followed by rehabilitation follows.

Consequence

Children's oncology is treated better than adult oncology.

Today, doctors manage to save 90% of children with kidney cancer, over 76% with oncology of soft tissues and bones, and retinoblastoma is cured by 100%. This is a consequence of the enormous potential of young organisms.

The likelihood of a complete cure, of course, directly depends on the timeliness of the treatment started, but there are cases of healing of patients even with the fourth stage of a cancer tumor.

Brain tumors are diseases that form as a result of non-physiological cell division. Neoplasms grow from cells that have not yet fully formed, forming pathological tissue. They put pressure on important parts of the brain, causing disruption of a number of body systems as a whole and leading to brain changes. Unfortunately, in recent years the number of detections of this disease in children has increased significantly. Symptoms of a brain tumor in children can be vague, until a large tumor appears. However, an attentive parent can notice the first manifestations of the disease in the behavior or well-being of the baby.

Pathology developing in the brain affects the entire body as a whole. The central nervous system controls the most important functions of life: breathing, heartbeat, and organ function. The disease, left without proper treatment, will progress rapidly. As a result of delay, the child's life will be at risk. Therefore, it is very important to notice its signs in the early stages of development. As a rule, the first symptoms of a brain tumor in children appear a year and a half after their onset. Sometimes after twenty months.

Brain tumors in children are almost the most common disease in pediatric oncology. They occur in every fifth case of neoplasms in pediatrics. Only leukemia, common in 30% of cases, is ahead of them.

A child's brain is different from an adult's. Pathological formations in it grow rapidly. And even in the case of benign formations. A brain tumor in a child leads to tissue compression. In some cases, a complete cessation of blood circulation in various areas of the brain may begin. Pathological cells quickly grow into nearby structures, disrupting the functioning of the optic chiasm, as well as the cerebellum, ventricles, and brain stem in children. The tumor leads to periodic or permanent disorders:

hearing problems arise;
coordination is impaired;
sensitivity changes;
vision deteriorates;
mental changes appear;
the respiratory and cardiovascular systems work with disturbances;
difficulty swallowing;
smile asymmetry appears;
weakness of facial muscles;
absence of pain responses to stimuli.

The main signs of the onset and development of the disease in infants

The most important feature of young patients is their still poorly developed mental abilities. The child cannot independently understand what is happening to him. He is unable to connect his reluctance to play with a slight headache, his bad mood with unexpressed nausea. Symptoms that an adult can easily identify and explain, often remain vague background sensations for a toddler. Therefore, if the child is very small, then you need to learn to understand him, noting oddities in behavior, and seeing the slightest atypical physiological manifestations. It is worth remembering that the symptoms of an already large tumor will quickly appear.

In a baby you should pay attention to the following signs:

intoxication for no apparent reason;
severe malaise;
swelling of lymph nodes throughout the body;
leukocytosis in blood tests;
exhaustion.

In infants, the condition of the skull changes. This is a direct consequence of the rapid proliferation of brain tissue and intracranial pressure. Externally, the skull is bursting with divergence of bone sutures. There may be a noticeable protrusion of the fontanelle or an uneven increase in size of the head. Veins swell. A collateral venous network appears. The child instinctively moves his head to the side opposite to the tumor. He looks for a comfortable position, constantly calms down in the same position. A newborn baby often vomits and feels sick regardless of food intake. He may stop responding to sounds. Hearing is decreasing. Due to compression of the brain, dislocation syndrome is formed. In addition to the skull deformation and hearing loss described above, anisocoria develops. The pupils become different sizes. In addition, the eyes do not react to light. The baby develops vegetative-vascular dystonia. All types of neoplasms are characterized by the appearance of dislocation syndrome as a consequence of a compressed brain. A childhood brain tumor in one area leads to hypertension and hemorrhage in healthy unaffected areas. Tissues protrude into free cavities, disrupting blood flow and fluid outflow.

It is in newborn children that tumor formations in the brain lead to hydrocephalus. This is observed when a brain tumor in children is located in the midline region of the brain stem. OMS obstructs the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid. The baby's blood pressure rises, his ears become clogged, and his head constantly hurts. The headache leads to new vomiting. A characteristic symptom is also increased intracranial pressure.

The baby cries endlessly with a monotonous specific sound. He may have uncontrolled oculomotor reactions, twitching of the eyeballs, and uneven “setting sun” movements.

Brain stem tumors in young children often lead to strabismus. In addition, the baby may experience convulsions, specific periods of freezing, and hand movements may become chaotic. The brain stem includes long nerves in its structure. They provide sensitivity and supply the muscles with the correct signals and nerve impulses. If this part of the central nervous system is damaged, then specific, more complex muscle mobility appears. In addition, the baby’s facial expressions are impaired. The symptoms of AMG in a child directly depend on its location and size, as well as on the age of the baby. The clinic for children over three years of age and infants is significantly different.

Clinical picture of AMS in children over three years of age

The peak incidence of AGM occurs between the ages of three and nine years. Unlike infants and small children, by the age of three, a child can already explain that some changes have occurred in his well-being. He may, for example, complain of a headache and that pain medication is not helping. Of course, the baby will be able to explain himself if the adult asks the questions correctly. It is better for parents to rely on their own vigilance than to expect the child to refer to strange sensations himself. Adults should be wary if:

the child becomes more lethargic and irritable from normal stress;
wants to sleep more or, on the contrary, shows hyperactivity;
his character traits and basic behavioral reactions are rapidly changing;
interest in former favorite activities disappears;
gait changes, lameness or slight limping appears;
coordination of movements is impaired;
the child quickly forgets about important matters;
there is a sharp decline in academic performance during the learning process;
the baby loses the ability to pronounce those sounds that were previously easy for him, and also ceases to form sentences correctly;
speech became very fast, unclear, with missing sounds and eating endings;
the child began to speak monotonously, slowly, as if chanting ordinary words;
Epileptic short-term seizures, loss of consciousness, clonic and tonic convulsions regularly occur;
nosebleeds occur, as well as increased bleeding even after a regular cut;
urinary and fecal incontinence occurs;
the child's vision and hearing are impaired;
lymph nodes become enlarged;
the baby began to lag behind his peers physically and mentally;
the child does not react to burning objects, does not experience pain with the corresponding stimulus;
the child began to complain of numbness in the extremities, pain in the arms and legs, and disturbing aching joint pain;

In the early stages of brain tumor development in children and adults, one of the most easily diagnosed symptoms is swelling of the optic discs. It manifests itself as blood stagnation of the fundus. An ophthalmologist can see this sign. However, a parent can send a child for examination if the baby complains of a periodic feeling of fogginess, intense flickering of dots and goosebumps in the morning.

Typically, swollen discs occur in both eyes at the same time. They are equally expressed. Less commonly, swelling forms first on one side and only after a few weeks becomes symmetrical. Doctors suggest that this occurs as a result of increased intracranial pressure. The faster it is pumped, the more intense the picture of edematous discs appears. If the patient's increase in intracranial pressure progresses slowly, then congestion of the discs increases over several months. It is very important to notice this sign of a tumor in a child before the disease is accompanied by severe headaches. Their children endure it very hard.

Unlike optic neuritis, where there is a sharp decrease in vision, congestion of the disc occurs against the background of normal ocular acuity. And if the cause is not eliminated, the result will be atrophy of the optic nerve due to constant stagnation of blood. Over time, persistent atrophic changes form in the eye. And if the process has gone far enough, then vision begins to decline. Even removing the tumor - an operation to normalize intracranial pressure - will not correct the situation. Unfortunately, in some cases, despite timely treatment of hypertension, swelling of the optic discs results in complete blindness. Disc congestion may lead to the diagnosis of brain tumors in children and young adults. At a more mature age, especially in the elderly, even with large neoplasms, swelling in the eye may not develop. The fact is that the subarachnoid reserve space increases with age due to the death of nerve cells.

The symptoms of a malignant tumor do not differ from those of a benign tumor. Over the past fifteen years, cancer in children has become diagnosed more often. This can be associated with the development of research methods and more accurate diagnosis. The most unfavorable prognosis is for patients with sarcoma and cancer located in the brain stem. In most cases, for such patients the disease is fatal.

Today there is a quick, painless and safe method of screening for brain tumors in children. Magnetic resonance imaging is considered the most informative and accurate examination. MRI can detect even tiny tumors in the body, brain stem changes and pathological growths in the brain. Computed tomography is also widely used for diagnosis.

The next stage of research into the nature of the disease will be a biopsy. The procedure is painful. It leads to a violation of the integrity of the body and has certain risks. A sample of pathological tissue is taken for analysis. After studying the biomaterial, experts make a conclusion about the development of a benign or malignant neoplasm.

Brain cancer in children is a serious disease that carries with it a lot of consequences. Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death in childhood. Therefore, it is very important to identify the disease as early as possible and begin treatment.

Brain tumors are the second most common group of cancers in children

Brain tumors in children are beginning to firmly occupy second place among all neoplasms encountered in childhood. There is a pronounced tendency towards the frequency of detection of this terrible disease - among children under the age of 15, one child in 30 thousand is affected. Brain tumors are much more common (97%) than spinal cord tumors. For children, the location of cancer is more typical in the posterior cranial fossa and mainly along the central axis of the brain; the disease often attacks the cerebellum, brain stem and 4th ventricle. Tumors in the hemispheres are rare and account for no more than 20% of all brain tumors.

Distribution of incidence by age (data from different countries and regions differ greatly):

Children 10–14 years old are slightly more likely to get sick;
less often – 5–9 years;
The disease is even less common in children under 4 years of age.

It has been proven that brain cancer is more common in boys under 10 years of age. The incidence rates are greatly influenced by the environmental situation in the city, the equipping of medical institutions with modern diagnostic equipment, the availability of trained specialists, and the financial capabilities of the population.

Reasons

There is an assumption that malignant neoplasms appear in children due to the inability of the immune system to prevent the harmful effects of carcinogens.

Genetic transmission of the gene from close relatives is not excluded.

Is there a connection between cell phones and brain cancer - one of the most discussed issues of our time

Risk factors:

ionizing, ultraviolet and radiation radiation;
chemicals (chromium, arsenic, formaldehyde);
vinyl chloride gas, used in the production of plastics;
sugar substitute aspartame;
herbicides, pesticides;
solar radiation;
electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones;
regular consumption of smoked meats and store-bought sausages;
intrauterine developmental defects;
Some viruses can cause abnormalities in the body.

Clinic

Brain tumors in children manifest themselves as general cerebral symptoms, which are caused by increased intracranial pressure, impaired outflow of cerebrospinal fluid, cerebral edema, and focal symptoms, the manifestation of which depends on the location of the tumor, the area of the brain that it compresses and pushes aside.

General cerebral symptoms

With increased intracranial pressure, the volume of the brain increases, blood circulation and outflow of cerebrospinal fluid are disrupted, the latter leading to cerebral edema. In children, due to age characteristics, swelling is always extensive and spreads faster than in adults.

Signs:

In 90% of cases, emotional disorders appear first. Children are capricious, become uncommunicative, inattentive and lethargic, and remember worse. Typically, these disorders are combined with signs of dysfunction of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, and changes in blood pressure.

A brain tumor can cause various emotional disturbances

Classic symptoms of increased intracranial pressure are morning headache and vomiting. Sometimes they are the only signs of cancer at the onset of the disease. The pain can concentrate in one place and be diffuse, intensifying with changes in body position, coughing, straining, and physical stress. In the later stages, the headache becomes painful and constant. Vomiting, as a rule, appears suddenly against the background of a headache, and is not preceded by nausea. Sometimes a child feels better after vomiting.
Epileptic seizures. They may be the first and only signs of brain cancer.
In children, you may notice an increase in head circumference, divergence of the seams between the bones of the skull, dilated veins on the forehead, temples, upper eyelids and bridge of the nose.

In young children, general cerebral symptoms may appear only in the later stages of cancer - the increase in brain volume is compensated by the divergence of cranial bone sutures and enlargement of the fontanelles. Therefore, in the early stages of the disease, general cerebral symptoms are typical for children aged 5 years and older.

Focal symptoms

Focal symptoms arise due to compression of brain structures, ischemia caused by compression of the vessels of the head, and tissue displacement. They can differ significantly among children with similar diagnoses.

Features of the clinic, depending on the location of the cancer

In the cerebellum. I am worried about a headache in the back of the head, accompanied by vomiting, the pain radiates to the neck and back. Symptoms may appear suddenly with sudden movements of the head, accompanied by loss of consciousness, increased blood pressure and tachycardia. Focal symptoms appear later, but increase quickly: coordination of movements in the limbs is impaired, muscle tone deteriorates, and abnormal movements of the eyeballs appear. In this case, the child cannot walk correctly due to impaired balance and coordination of movements.

The cerebellum is responsible for the coordination of movements

In the trunk. Sometimes the first symptoms are paresis and paralysis of the limbs, hearing and vision impairment.
In the frontal lobe. In the early stages, you can only notice a change in the behavior of children: foolishness, decreased memory and attention, as well as paresis of facial muscles.
In the anterior and posterior central gyri - epileptic seizures, motor disorders.
Near the temple - headache and epileptic seizures.
Parietal lobe. Symptoms remain unrecognized for a long time. In older children, these are sensitivity disorders.
Occipital lobe. Cancer in the occipital lobe is rare in children. It is characterized by visual disturbances and visual hallucinations.
Pituitary. Rarely, visual and endocrine disturbances may occur.

Diagnostics

The main negative aspect of brain cancer in children is the delay between the onset and diagnosis of the disease. A late diagnosis can lead to serious consequences.

First of all, with suspicious complaints from a child, parents turn to a pediatrician.

It is very important to tell your doctor about the very first manifestations of the disease. Then, if the situation requires it, the pediatrician refers the child to a neurologist (neurologist); every child with complaints of headache should be examined by an ophthalmologist (measurement of eye pressure, examination of the fundus!). A neurologist may prescribe an X-ray of the skull and an electroencephalogram.

If during these studies abnormalities were detected (papilledema, space-occupying lesion) raising concerns about a brain tumor, the child is then sent for a CT or MRI. CT and MRI are the decisive stage of the examination; they will confirm or refute the diagnosis. If a tumor is detected on the tomography, the next method of examination is a biopsy. During a biopsy, a piece of the tumor is excised and then its structure is studied in the laboratory. A biopsy will confirm whether the tumor is malignant or benign; it can be used to determine the type and structure of the tumor.

Treatment

The main method of treatment is surgical removal of the tumor; it is better that the operation is performed before the appearance of severe cerebral and focal symptoms. If surgery is not possible, treatment is carried out by injecting radioisotopes into the tumor.

To eliminate the main symptoms of the disease, medications are prescribed:

To relieve cerebral edema - Lasix, ethacrynic acid;
To reduce intracranial pressure, hyperventilation is performed;
When the temperature rises, you can introduce a lytic mixture (Diphenhydramine or Pipolfen + Analgin);
In case of obstruction of the liquor spaces, surgical assistance is performed - drainage and puncture of the ventricles.

Thanks to an integrated approach and complex treatment, almost 70% of children are cured, but many of them remain with neurological and endocrine disorders, and there is a decrease in memory and mental performance.

When treating brain tumors in children, it is necessary to strive not only for the maximum effect, but also to take into account the consequences of therapy

The main problem with delays in diagnosis and treatment is the lack of information provided by parents about the signs of the disease. Many parents, noticing signs of illness for a long time, show passivity and do not take their child to the doctor, attributing the cause of these complaints to fatigue and his mental characteristics. Particular caution should be shown to children with growth disorders and endocrine diseases. The prognosis for children with brain cancer is always serious and depends on many factors.

At the first suspicion of cancer, take your child to the doctor. If the doctor’s competence is not trustworthy, turn to another, consult a neurologist and an ophthalmologist.

The formation of pathological cells in the tissues of the brain or spinal cord represents brain tumor in children. The disease affects areas that control important body functions and affect the functioning of the entire human body. This is one of the most common forms of childhood cancer.

After identifying the main signs and performing diagnostic tests, brain tumor in a child can be classified according to the following general characteristics:

the benign formation grows slowly and does not penetrate into adjacent tissues. In this case, the tumor becomes dangerous because, as it grows, it compresses nearby areas of the brain, which provokes the appearance of certain symptoms;
malignant brain lesions include low-grade tumors (not very aggressive) and high-grade tumors that grow quickly and spread to other tissues of the organ;
primary formations begin in the brain;
Secondary formations consist of cells that have been released from other parts of the body.

Leading clinics abroad

Brain tumor in a child: the most common types

Astrocytomas- are formed from certain cells in the back of the head. In children they often present with an aggressive form.

Ependiomas– are formed from part of the central nervous system.

Gliomas brain stem() - occur in tissues that connect to the spine (back of the skull). Typically, they are high-grade, fast-growing lesions. A type - Pontian gliomas.

Medulloblastomas- begin in the posterior cranial fossa at the base of the skull.

Optic nerve gliomas() - affects the tissue that connects the eye to the brain.

Craniopharyngiomas– non-cancerous tumors that arise at the base of the brain (pituitary gland).

Germ cell tumors, as a rule, form in the testes or ovaries, but can form in the brain and central nervous system. They represent both non-malignant and cancerous formations.

Mostly brain tumors in children are gliomas or medulloblastomas (70-80%). Other neoplasms represent craniopharyngiomas or.

Brain tumors in children: symptoms

Signs and brain tumor symptoms in children not the same. They depend on the following factors:

The exact location of the tumor (part of the brain or spinal cord).
Tumor size and growth rate.
Age and general development of the child.

Leading specialists from clinics abroad

Signs of a brain tumor in children depending on the location of the tumor

Abnormal formations located in different parts of the brain and spinal cord cause symptoms that differ from each other. Based on the occurrence of problems with specific functions, the localization of the tumor can be determined.

Signs of a brain tumor in children according to specific location include:

Tumors in parts of the brain(large and external) - cause loss of motor control, including weakness and numbness on one side of the body.

Intracranial neoplasms– cause headaches, problems with general well-being, and loss of coordination. Children under 4 years of age may have macrocephaly, frequent nausea, irritability, and lethargy. A brain tumor in a child in the first years of life is usually determined by refusal to eat, poor digestion, increased tearfulness, and weakness. Accompanying factors are hyperreflexia (increased reflexes) and cranial nerve palsy.

Central formations of the brain– manifested by unusual eye movements, strabismus and the presence of other general symptoms.

Atypical formations of the anterior part of the brain– responsible for problems with language and thinking (loss of speech or even understanding of words, lack of language skills).

Tumor in the back of the brain or around the pituitary gland– damages the optic nerves.

Brain tumor in children that is localized in the basal ganglia, causes pathological movements and body positions.

Neoplasms in the cerebellum(back of the brain) cause problems with control of coordination, walking and even eating.

Tumors within or near other cranial nerves can lead to hearing loss, problems with balance, facial muscles, and swallowing.

Brainstem neoplasms associated with abnormal gait, cranial nerve palsy, headache and strabismus.

In children it causes numbness, weakness, lack of coordination, problems with the intestines and bladder.

Knowing the signs and symptoms listed above that indicate brain tumor in a child, it is possible to recognize brain oncology in a child at an early stage, thereby improving the overall outcome of the disease and preventing a possible critical situation (advanced stage, inoperable form of the tumor). If several conditions of the disease are identified, parents should immediately consult a doctor!

June 8 is World Brain Tumor Day. On this day, charities, medical organizations and the media talk about the disease, its diagnosis and treatment. In Russia, brain tumors are diagnosed in approximately 1,200 children every year. Among oncological diseases in children, brain tumors are the second most common after leukemia. It is important to remember that childhood brain tumors can be successfully treated: 70 percent of affected children recover if diagnosed on time. The difficulty is that the symptoms of a brain tumor are often disguised as symptoms of common childhood diseases and infections. The main thing is not to miss them and bring the child to the doctor before it is too late. Together with the Konstantin Khabensky Charitable Foundation and its experts, we talk about the main symptoms of brain tumors in children and explain what diseases they should not be confused with.

Headache, nausea and vomiting, difficulty swallowing

Olga Zheludkova, pediatric oncologist of the highest category, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Russian Scientific Center of X-ray Radiology:

“Headache, especially if it gets worse, is a common symptom of a brain tumor. Usually it looks like this: I had a headache, my mother gave me a pill, a week later it happened again, a day later it happened again. Another common symptom is vomiting in the morning, which brings relief. The child gets out of bed, vomits, and feels better. Parents should be alarmed when this occurs not for the first time, but repeatedly, within a week or month. It is important to understand that ordinary gastroenterological problems, as a rule, recur every day, and vomiting with brain tumors may not be daily, but once every three days or once a week. And vomiting due to brain tumors does not fade over time, but, on the contrary, increases. Parents who notice this should urgently go to an ophthalmologist and ask him to look at the fundus and evaluate the child’s visual acuity, even if there are no obvious vision problems. And with this data, go to a neurologist. You should also be wary when there is a swallowing disorder. Usually it manifests itself as follows: while eating liquid food, the child develops coughing and choking.”

Anorexia, behavior changes, depression

Irina Tatarova, child psychiatrist, candidate of medical sciences, consultant physician at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital:

“Parents definitely need to pay attention to sudden changes in the child’s behavior. If he becomes irritable, excitable, if he loses control over his actions, if a previously active child suddenly becomes drowsy and lethargic, you need to take him to the doctor. These symptoms should alert you if the child has not behaved this way before and if there were no apparent reasons for a change in behavior - illness, stress or severe fatigue.

Sudden mood swings can also be a cause for anxiety: causeless uncontrollable laughter or crying, euphoria turning into aggression, or sudden attacks of fear. Sometimes children with brain tumors also experience hallucinations. Young children cannot tell their parents about this, so you need to monitor their behavior. If a child suddenly freezes, his eyes widen, if he looks for a long time and points to an empty space, this is a reason to contact a specialist. Many symptoms also accompany depression. But this is not a specific symptom, which in case of brain tumors is usually combined with other manifestations of the disease.

With all these symptoms, parents often take their child to a psychologist, but first of all they need to consult with a neurologist and a psychiatrist - and it is advisable for these two doctors to work in pairs. Unfortunately, sometimes symptoms are associated with autism spectrum disorders, so it is important to contact competent specialists who will conduct a comprehensive examination of the child.

Anorexia can also be a symptom of a brain tumor. If it is caused by psychological reasons, the child consciously begins to limit himself in food, avoids dinners with his family, and looks at himself in the mirror. But if a child eats normally and suddenly begins to lose weight sharply, parents should take him to an endocrinologist.”

Convulsions, weakness, loss of consciousness

Vladimir Solovyov, neurologist-epileptologist, head of the laboratory for pre-surgical diagnosis of epilepsy at the Morozov Children's City Clinical Hospital, doctor at the video-EEG laboratory of the Epilepsy Center:

“The main neurological symptoms of a brain tumor, in addition to headaches, are seizures and loss of consciousness. Of course, anyone can faint: for example, this happens with children of asthenic physique, or with overwork and hormonal changes in the body. But if a disturbance of consciousness occurs unexpectedly, without physical activity, then this is a reason to go to the doctor. In any case, seizures should also be seen by specialists. Very young children may experience febrile seizures - seizures during fever and infectious diseases. Most likely, such seizures will not be a symptom of a brain tumor, but it is still necessary to exclude this. Well, if attacks bother children older than one year, then this is definitely a reason to consult a doctor.

Another symptom is general weakness. He should be alert if this happens systematically, if it is clear that the child is not pretending. It’s one thing when he doesn’t want to go to school in the morning, and it’s a completely different thing when you and your whole family go to the zoo, and the child doesn’t have the strength, although he always really wanted to go there.

Unfortunately, specialists do not always immediately prescribe the necessary examinations for children. In my practice, I often encounter the fact that instead of an MRI, children are referred for an ultrasound of the brain vessels. Doctors suspect vasoconstriction, which allegedly causes chronic oxygen deprivation and headaches. Some people even try to blame it on a migraine, but how can a six-year-old child get a migraine? Then the parents themselves do an MRI, and there the tumor is in an advanced stage. This also happens.

At my appointments, I always advise parents to get a second opinion, especially when it comes to a serious illness. If parents suspect something, it is better to hear from a second specialist. Moreover, if the doctor at the appointment without hesitation says that there is no need to do an MRI, that everything is fine - it’s just a headache and will go away soon. It is important to remember that even one of the above symptoms is enough to consult a specialist.”

Growth problems, delayed puberty or early puberty, diabetes insipidus

Nadezhda Mazerkina, endocrinologist of the highest category, Doctor of Medical Sciences, doctor of the children's department of the National Medical Research Center for Neurosurgery named after. ak. N. N. Burdenko:

“Parents should first of all be alert to the following symptoms: growth retardation, premature or late puberty, as well as symptoms of diabetes insipidus: thirst and polyuria - that is, a frequent urge to go to the toilet, especially at night. If a child has at least one of these symptoms, parents need to take him to a good endocrinologist: he should figure it out.

It is very important to pay attention to the child's growth rate. To do this, it is necessary to regularly measure growth and record it, and observe it over time. A growth rate of less than four centimeters per year is suspicious - there is a high probability that the reasons are related to hormonal disorders. You also need to monitor the appearance of signs of puberty in the child: if they appear in a girl before the age of eight, and in a boy before the age of nine, then this is a reason to consult a doctor. The same can be said about delayed puberty. You should be concerned if a girl shows no signs of puberty after 13 years, and a boy does not show signs of puberty after 14 years.

It is worth mentioning separately about obesity: in itself it usually does not become a symptom of a brain tumor, but if excess weight is combined with any of the above symptoms, this is a cause for alarm. You should also be concerned if the change in weight is accompanied by deterioration of vision or severe headaches in the child. Quite rarely, cachexia can be a symptom: sudden weight loss for no apparent reason. The child becomes very thin, even to the point of exhaustion. You need to see a doctor if your weight change is really pronounced. Many children, for various reasons, get better and lose several kilograms - in these cases, of course, it’s not worth sending them for an MRI.”

Deterioration and various visual impairments

“A symptom of a brain tumor is often rapid deterioration of vision. A child may complain of various disturbances: the flickering of midges or the appearance of multi-colored highlights and stripes in front of the eyes, loss of visual fields from different sides - that is, when he ceases to see with peripheral vision, loss of central visual fields - when the child’s gaze is constantly directed to the side. It is also possible to develop photophobia (photophobia) - painful sensitivity of the eye to light.

There are a number of other symptoms of a brain tumor that should be cause for concern. These are increasing nystagmus, that is, rapid movement of the eyeballs from side to side or up and down, diplopia (double vision), exophthalmos (protrusion of the eyeball outward), ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid so that the eye is constantly in a half-closed state). Also, with brain tumors, strabismus may develop, and sometimes the pupils begin to differ in size. The child may be bothered by pain in the projection of the eye: in this case, he will say that the eye hurts somewhere deep, something is pressing on it.

It can be difficult for parents of young children to notice visual impairment in their child. Young children cannot complain, so parents need to closely monitor their behavior. For example, if a son or daughter used to assemble a construction set, but now cannot, or if they suddenly have difficulty picking up an object that was not there before, this may indicate vision problems.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should immediately contact your pediatrician and ophthalmologist. Next, a comprehensive examination should be carried out, including an MRI of the brain with intravenous contrast. The most important thing is timely diagnosis; it is better not to delay treatment.”

Ringing in the ears, hearing loss, noticeable tilting of the head or curvature of the neck, dizziness

Andrey Levashov, pediatric oncologist, candidate of medical sciences, researcher at the department of chemotherapy of hemablastosis with the neuro-oncology group of the National Medical Research Center of Oncology named after. N.N. Blokhina:

“Symptoms of a brain tumor can also include hearing impairment. The child begins to hear worse, or he develops hypersensitivity to sound: you talk to him quietly, but it seems to him that it is very loud. Ringing in the ears can also be bothersome, often only on one side. With all these symptoms, the pediatrician, of course, can refer you to an ENT doctor, but if he rules out pathology of the ENT organs, then this is a direct route to a neurologist.

Another symptom from the ENT organs is a constant cough. It's not wet or long-lasting: I'd say it's more of a cough. In this case, they usually first contact an ENT doctor. If it excludes colds, then the child begins to suspect allergies. But allergic cough usually depends on seasonality and worries in the spring and summer, when there are a lot of allergens around. It may also depend on the presence of food, drug allergies, or allergies to pet hair. If the child’s living environment and diet have not changed, and if he has not taken medications, then a cough should cause concern.

When the tumor is located in the cervical region or the transition of the brain stem to the spinal cord, the child sometimes experiences a tilt of the head to the side or a curvature of the neck. But usually this is not the key symptom; it is combined with something else.

It is necessary to mention dizziness. If they bother your child regularly, if he complains about them, even when he’s just sitting or lying down, you need to go to the pediatrician. First, he will prescribe a general blood test, and if no signs of anemia are detected, he will refer you to a neurologist. Sometimes this symptom may also indicate dysfunction of the heart muscle or thyroid gland: in this case, a cardiologist and endocrinologist will be involved.”

Developmental delay, developmental regression, increased head circumference

Olga Zheludkova, pediatric oncologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Russian Scientific Center of Radiology:

“In young children, up to two years old, a brain tumor, as a rule, does not manifest itself in any way. And the only symptom is an increase in head size. Therefore, parents should pay attention to this, and if they notice that the head circumference continues to increase rapidly, they need to go to the pediatrician and tell them about it. Also, a manifestation of the tumor process can be a reverse development: when the child developed and gained weight up to six months, everything was normal, but after six months of age he ceases to be interested in the world around him and objects, stops sitting and walking, and holding his head up. Although he eats well, for example. This could also be a symptom of a brain tumor."

Recorded by: Liza Kofanova, Victoria Vyakhoreva