Pediatric Brain Tumors at-a-glance

This infographic by the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation highlights the serious impact of pediatric brain and CNS tumors in the United States.

Summary

Brain tumors are the most common cancer and leading cause of cancer-related death among children and adolescents 0-19, especially affecting infants under one year old. Gliomas are the most common type of tumor, accounting for 33% of all tumors in the adolescent group. Survival rates vary depending on the tumor type and age at diagnosis, with pilocytic astrocytoma having the highest survival rates. The infographic also emphasizes the major long-term impact of these cancers, as in 2009, an estimated total of 47,631 years of potential life were taken away due to these tumors. Overall, this infographic highlights the severity of pediatric brain tumors and the importance of improving awareness, treatment, and research efforts.

Recommendation 1: Adopt better screening methods to improve early detection and diagnosis.
Recommendation 2: Provide more emotional, financial, and educational support services for families affected by pediatric brain and CNS tumors.
Recommendation 3: Raise public awareness about pediatric brain tumors to increase advocacy, educate parents and doctors, and fundraise.

Our Perspective

Overall, this infographic does a fabulous job at highlighting the devastating impact of pediatric brain tumors and the urgent need for greater awareness, improved treatments, and continued research to better support affected children and families.  DayOne Biopharmaceuticals (now Servier) achieved the key goal of better therapy in developing Tovorafenib as an FDA-approved treatment for relapsed or refractory pediatric low-grade glioma (LGG) harboring a BRAF fusion or rearrangement, or a BRAF V600 mutation.  The sooner a patient receives an effective therapy, the better the outcome for the patients and their families.