Treatments For Glioma

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells. After surgery or when surgery is not a viable treatment option, it can be a part of the treatment program for children with gliomas. In general, radiation therapy is delayed as long as possible in very young children in order to allow them a chance to grow and develop more. In addition, certain ways of administering radiation therapy can help prevent it from damaging nearby healthy tissues. Our radiation oncologists at Sheba have specialized techniques to determine the dose and volume of radiation so that it provides maximum benefits with minimal long-term effects to your child’s overall health.

Chemotherapy is medicine that can be used to destroy remaining cancer cells after surgery for gliomas, especially for high-grade childhood gliomas. In addition, chemo will sometimes be administered before surgery in order to shrink the tumor. Or – chemotherapy may be used for children with low-grade gliomas that cannot be surgically resected, such as optic pathway gliomas.

To kill cancer cells, high doses of chemo drugs are given. As a consequence of this powerful treatment, many healthy cells are also destroyed. In order to replace the blood-forming cells that have been destroyed, stem cells can be transplanted into the patient. The infused stem cells develop into healthy blood cells and restore the normal cells that were destroyed.

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances to identify and destroy cancer cells without damaging normal healthy cells. The molecular profile of your child’s tumor will largely determine whether or not targeted therapy is an option.