Glioma Overview
In order to plan and administer the best treatment program for your child as soon as possible, a fast and precise diagnosis of childhood glioma is necessary. At Sheba Medical Center in Israel, our pediatric brain tumor specialists are highly qualified and experienced in diagnosing and treating low-grade and high-grade gliomas with a personalized approach. Our facilities feature advanced technologies and the latest therapies, and our multidisciplinary team comprises leading surgeons, oncologists, and pathologists who have trained at the best cancer centers worldwide.
Sheba’s campus is all-inclusive, which allows us to provide integrative treatments efficiently and comfortably.
We treat pediatric glioma with a compassionate, holistic approach that considers the child’s quality of life. From the first evaluation through our comprehensive follow-up services, you and your child will benefit from the expertise of our medical professionals. Cancer can have devastating effects on the physical and emotional well-being of your child and his/her entire family, and we offer a variety of support services to address your needs.
Brain tumors in children are the second most common tumors caused by pediatric cancers.
In the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Division at Sheba, we diagnose a brain tumor in about 40 children each year.
At our Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Department, we provide the most innovative treatments possible for children. Our specialists relate to each young patient with compassionate, personalized medicine. Our laboratory is a world leader in neuropathology, offering the initial pathological diagnosis, as well as highly precise, advanced molecular diagnostic testing.
We provide each child who suffers from a brain tumor with 24/7, multi-disciplinary care under the full supervision and cooperation of the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Division. Our department also leads the Israeli affiliation to the PINOC group, a team involved with experimental therapies for brain tumors.
A child with a brain tumor undergoes a complex set of treatments, interacting with a wide range of medical disciplines. Our goal is to provide each child and his or her family with the most professional, personalized and helpful source of integrative care and support.
About Glioma
Gliomas are the most common kind of brain tumors in both children and adults. Approximately 25% of all childhood cancers are gliomas, and most of these tumors are highly treatable and curable. For example, a pilocytic astrocytoma – the most common kind of glioma, has a cure rate that is higher than 90%.
What is pediatric glioma?
A glioma is a type of brain or spinal cord tumor that begins in glial cells, supportive cells that surround the neurons in your brain, nourishing and insulating them. Depending on its location and growth rate, a glioma can affect brain function and be life-threatening.
What are the risk factors of pediatric glioma?
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Turcot syndrome
- Neurofibromatosis: in particular, children with neurofibromatosis are at an increased risk for developing optic pathway gliomas
- Tuberous sclerosis: can lead to a higher chance of developing subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, a kind of low-grade glioma
What are the symptoms of pediatric glioma?
The most common symptoms include:
- Headache, specifically in the morning and/or made better by vomiting
- Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision, or loss of vision
- Clumsiness
- Behavioral changes
- Unexplained weight gain or loss
- Premature puberty
- Severe or frequent vomiting with no other gastrointestinal symptoms
- Trouble walking or balancing
- Seizures
- Confusion
- Sleepiness
What are the types of pediatric gliomas?
Gliomas are categorized according to the tumor’s genetic features and the type of glial cell involved in the tumor. These tumors can be low-grade or high-grade, based on criteria set by the World Health Organization (WHO). High-grade tumors appear very unusual when examined under the microscope, and low-grade tumors look different than healthy brain cells, but not as abnormal as high-grade tumor cells. The grade of the tumor is also determined based on how fast it grows.
Types of pediatric gliomas include:
- Pilocytic astrocytoma – the most common type of low-grade glioma, which often occurs in the cerebellum. It is usually slow-growing and not diagnosed until it is large.
- Anaplastic astrocytoma – a high-grade tumor in which the cells do not have the structure of normal brain glioma cells. It grows relatively quickly and does not usually spread to other parts of the central nervous system.
- Glioblastoma multiforme – these high-grade tumors can occur anywhere in the brain or spinal cord. This type of tumor is usually aggressive, growing quickly and sometimes spreading from the brain to other areas of the central nervous system.
- Diffuse midline glioma, H3 K27M-mutant – these high-grade tumors, which are found in the brainstem, account for 10% of all pediatric brain tumors.
- Optic pathway glioma – a low-grade tumor that occurs in the optic nerve.
- Tectal glioma – a low-grade tumor that occurs near the brainstem.
- Oligodendroglioma – a very rare type of low-grade glioma.
- Ganglioglioma – a low-grade glioma that has some features similar to glial cells and some features that look like neurons.
- Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma – a low-grade glioma that typically grows in the temporal lobe of the brain and often includes a cyst as part of the tumor.
Request a consultation
Sheba Medical Center provides innovative, personalized medical care to patients from around the world. We are the largest, most comprehensive hospital in the Middle East and dedicated to providing advanced and compassionate medicine for everyone. We welcome all cases, including the rarest and the most challenging. Our medical teams collaborate to provide the best possible health outcomes. From your initial inquiry through the long-term follow-up care, we are here for you.
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