Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : May 1, 2024 6:12 PM IST
In rare cases, personality changes in children happen due to a brain tumour that is affecting the cerebral cortex. (Photo: Freepik)
Brain cancer in children is more common and alarming than you would have imagined. An Independent report, however, recently mentioned that a new drug has been approved for use on the National Health Service (NHS) to help support children with brain tumours and transform their lives. Per the report, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that approved the use of a combination of 'dabrafenib' and 'trametinib' for treatment, said studies have indicated the side effects of chemotherapy were 'reduced' and there was 'improved patient survival time' without the disease progressing. But first, let us understand what brain tumours and brain cancer in children look like. Read on.
Alan Cohen, M.D., director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center mentioned in a blog post on hopkinsmedicine.org the most common signs and symptoms that point to a potential brain tumour in children, whose early diagnosis is essential.
According to Cohen, many children with a brain tumour experience headaches. One red flag to watch out for, he says, is a headache that is 'worse in the morning'. It happens because pressure in the brain increases when one is lying down, and a tumour can make it worse.
Nausea and vomiting, in rare instances, can be due to a brain tumour causing increased pressure inside the brain. If these symptoms persist or coincide with a headache, parents must ask a pediatrician for their opinion.
While it is not uncommon for a child to feel sleepy, if they are 'acting lethargic' or 'extra sleepy' for no apparent reason, a doctor must be called immediately for further evaluation.
Watch out for personality changes, Cohen states, adding that in rare cases, they can be due to a brain tumour that is affecting the cerebral cortex. "If your child's mood swings or personality changes seem sudden or severe, tell your child's pediatrician," he writes.
Depending on the tumour's location, it can affect a child's vision, hearing and/or speech. Sudden changes in how your child sees, hears or talks should be especially evaluated by a professional.
If the tumour is located near the brain stem, it can cause balance problems. Severe or worsening balance problems in kids require an evaluation by a doctor.
When a tumour sits on the surface of the brain, it can cause seizures.
Usually, when babies are young, their skull bones are not fused yet. According to the expert, because these bones are still malleable, a tumour could cause the head to grow in 'abnormal ways'. Parents must watch out for a bulge on one side of the head, or changes in the head shape.
The Independent report mentioned that for children and young people, gliomas are the most common type of brain cancer. It develops from the 'glial cells' that support the nerve cells of the spinal cord and brain.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, gliomas are malignant, but some can be 'very slow growing'. They are primary brain tumours that originate in the brain tissue and do not usually spread outside of the brain or spine. But, they can be life-threatening because,
Surgery is the first line of treatment for a glioma. A surgeon may be able to remove all of the tumour they can see and access. But, since they are hard to remove completely -- especially in the delicate areas of the brain -- additional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy should follow glioma surgery.
