Pediatric low-grade glioma

Abstract

Childhood brain tumors constitute 20-25 % of all childhood cancers diagnosed in the USA with the most common central nervous system (CNS) tumors being astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, and ependymoma. Glial tumors make up 56 % of all CNS tumors in children under the age of 14 and 45 % of all CNS tumors in adolescents. In both age groups, gliomas represent two thirds of all CNS tumors. Low-grade gliomas (LGG) include a heterogeneous group of tumors that not only have some common features, but also have characteristics that can be important for management decisions. It is important to have a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and management of these young patients since most will be expected to have a long-term survival. In this article, the characteristics, diagnosis, management options, and outcomes for pediatric LGG will be reviewed. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.