Choroid Plexus Tumor Treatment

A choroid plexus tumor (CPT) is a brain tumor. It begins in areas of the brain called ventricles. These ventricles are spaces filled with cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid flows in and around the brain and spinal cord.

As the tumors grow, they block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. This can increase pressure on the brain. It can cause the skull to get bigger.

CPTs are most common in infants but can occur at any age. Infants and toddlers may have trouble feeding or walking. The child’s fontanel (the “soft spot at the top of the skull) may become fuller.

Choroid plexus tumors are rare. They make up about 3% of brain tumors in children younger than 15.

Find out more about choroid plexus tumors on the Together by St. Jude™ online resource.

Types of choroid plexus tumors

Health care teams use genetic testing to look for genes that can give them more information about the tumor. These genes are called molecular markers. The markers help to plan the best treatment for the tumor type.

Molecular testing must occur on your tumor before you can get a correct diagnosis.

Types of choroid plexus tumors include:

• Atypical choroid plexus papilloma
• Choroid plexus carcinoma
• Choroid plexus papilloma

Treatment of choroid plexus tumors

Surgery is the most common form of treatment. The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Some children may also need chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both to get rid of cancer cells that remain after surgery.

Choroid plexus tumor clinical trials

St. Jude offers clinical trials and cancer research studies for children, teens, and young adults with choroid plexus tumors. Learn more about clinical research at St. Jude. 

Choroid plexus tumor care at St. Jude

St. Jude provides the highest quality of care for patients with choroid plexus tumors:

• We bring together medical experts and specially trained staff to care for your child. We also work with brain surgeons (neurosurgeons) at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
• We have a special team that helps understand the makeup of the tumor. This team includes doctors and scientists who study:
  • Cancer cells
  • How the cancer happened
  • Current medicines and treatments to kill cancer cells
  • What makes cancer cells grow and what new medicines can stop them
  • New medicines and other therapies to improve how treatments work
• Our brain tumor clinical trials have led to the clinical use of better therapies in children. These improvements include lower-dose therapies, targeted therapy, and proton therapy. These treatments kill cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, and may lessen the severity of side effects that affect brain function after treatment for some types of brain tumors.
• The St. Jude Proton Therapy Center is the first center in the world that treats only children with this therapy.
• Along with the treatment studies constantly being developed at St. Jude, the staff also treats patients on studies developed by the Children’s Oncology Group, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, and the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium. Many St. Jude staff members play key roles in developing these studies. They are large tests carried out at multiple centers across the United States.
• St. Jude offers a dedicated team of specialists to meet the needs of children with brain tumors, including:
  • Surgeons, doctors, and nurses who treat this cancer
  • Doctors who specialize in radiation therapy and pathology (making a diagnosis by looking at tumor tissue under the microscope)
  • Experts in diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine
  • Genetic counselors
  • Clinical dietitians
  • Child life specialists
  • Psychologists
  • Researchers and scientists

More reasons to choose St. Jude for care include:

• We are consistently ranked among the best childhood cancer centers in the nation by US News & World Report.
  
• At St. Jude, we have created an environment where children can be children and families can be together.
• We lead more clinical trials for childhood cancer than any other hospital in the U.S. 
• St. Jude is the only National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center just for children. A Comprehensive Cancer Center meets rigorous standards for research that develops new and better approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer.
• The nurse-to-patient ratio at St. Jude is about 1:3 in hematology and oncology and 1:1 in the Intensive Care Unit.
• Patients may be able to get expert, compassionate care and treatment closer to their homes through our St. Jude Affiliate clinics.

Get more information about the Brain Tumor Treatment program at St. Jude.

Contact us

You can start the referral process by letting your physician know you would like a second opinion from St. Jude. They can contact our 24-hour beeper service or contact our Brain Tumor Coordinator. You may also contact the brain tumor coordinator directly with questions. 

Learn more about the types of brain tumors we treat at St. Jude and our brain tumor eligibility requirements.

Learn more