Facts About Pediatric Brain Tumors
- Every day, nine more children are diagnosed with a brain tumor.
- Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death in children under 20, now surpassing acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They are the deadliest type of childhood cancer.
- More than 21,000 American children are living with the diagnosis of a primary brain tumor.
- 76% of children diagnosed with a brain tumor are younger than 15.
- Four out of 10 children with a brain tumor will die of their disease within five years of diagnosis.
- The incidence of brain tumors is increasing, but the reasons for the increase are unknown.
- There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors, making effective treatment very complicated.
- Because brain tumors are located at the control center for thought, emotion and movement, their effect on a child's physical and cognitive abilities can be devastating.
- Pediatric brain tumors are different from those in adults and are often treated differently. Although as many as 60 percent of children will survive, they are often left with long-term side effects.
- Benign tumors may recur and may result in death.
- Brain tumors are usually treated by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, either individually or in combination.
- Some brain tumor survivors require physical, cognitive and rehabilitation services to allow them to return to tasks of everyday life.
- Enhancing the quality of life of children with brain tumors requires access to quality specialty care and ready availability of follow-up care and rehabilitative services.
- Improving the outlook for children with brain tumors requires research into the causes of the disease and better treatments for it.
Key Genetic Link in Common Pediatric Brain Tumor Identified in American Brain Tumor (ABTA) Funded Study
Study revealed a link between a cell signaling pathway and increased levels of the c-Myc protein found in large-cell medulloblastoma.
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) February 9, 2008 -- An American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA)-funded study revealed a link between a cell signaling pathway and increased levels of the c-Myc protein found in large-cell medulloblastoma, the most aggressive form of a common pediatric brain tumor.
Despite aggressive therapy, often consisting of surgery followed by radiation and chemotherapy, a large number of medulloblastoma patients die or suffer long-term brain damage from radiation therapy.
"Identifying molecular targets is critical to developing new treatments for medulloblastoma and other brain tumors," said Naomi Berkowitz, ABTA executive director.
The lead author of the study, Yunqing Li, PhD, is a researcher at the University of Virginia and the recipient of a 2005-2007 ABTA Research Fellowship. "Functional and molecular interactions between the HGF/c-Met pathway and c-Myc in large-cell medulloblastoma," published in the online December 2007 issue of Laboratory Investigation (the official journal of the U.S. and Canadian Academy of Pathology), identified high levels of Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met and c-Myc in large-cell medulloblastoma.
Hepatocyte growth factor stimulates cell growth by activating its receptor c-Met tyrosine kinase. The oncoprotein, c-Myc, is a known contributor to the malignancy of large-cell medulloblastoma tumors. The study revealed for the first time that HGF/c-Met and c-Myc work together to promote large cell medulloblastoma growth. In addition, researchers found that HGF increases c-Myc levels and that c-Myc mediates the malignant effect of HGF medulloblastoma cells.
With the new information, researchers believe that targeting HGF/c-Met and c-Myc may provide promising treatment options for medulloblastoma