About this study
Craniopharyngioma is a rare brain tumor that most often affects children. It often grows in an important area of the brain and may injure its vital parts. The results may be severe headache, loss of vision or impaired movement, body coordination and sensation. It may also slow a child’s growth and development and can affect the balance of water and salts in the body.
Standard treatment for this type of pediatric brain tumor may include radical surgery or limited surgery with radiation therapy. Radical surgery is when doctors successfully remove the tumor and no further treatment is needed. If radical surgery is not successful, radiation therapy is required.
Patients who are not eligible for radical surgery may be treated with limited surgery. Limited surgery partially removes or treats the tumor to diagnose the disease or reduce the symptoms. After limited surgery, the patient receives radiation therapy.
Surgery and radiation therapy have similar risks. Most of the side effects from surgery occur during or immediately following surgery. Most of the side effects from radiation therapy happen over time and can impact thinking, memory, behavior, growth, sleep and other bodily functions.
Proton therapy is a new type of radiation therapy that targets pediatric brain tumors with high doses of radiation. Surrounding healthy tissues receive much less radiation from proton therapy than from standard radiation therapy. This precise targeting may reduce side effects. Proton therapy has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of pediatric brain tumors.
Eligibility overview
- 21 years old or younger
- Diagnosis of craniopharyngioma