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Putting the Focus on Pediatric Brain Tumours

  February 23, 2021
No parent wants to hear the words, “Your child has a brain tumour.”
No child deserves to have one.

That’s why in 2021, our Feature Grants are focused entirely on pediatric brain tumours. They may be considered rare compared to other illnesses, but their effects are serious – sometimes deadly.

Our stories and blog section of this website contains accounts of many parents and caregivers who have been thrust into a frightening new reality at the doctor’s office. Their child’s diagnosis suddenly opens up a world of hospitals, medications, surgeries, and even travel outside of Canada for experimental treatments.

One thing everyone affected by a pediatric brain tumour has in common is finding an inner strength they didn’t know existed before the diagnosis.

Another unifying factor is they all desire better understanding and treatment of childhood brain tumours, and a desire to have life-saving options here in Canada.

Our knowledge of childhood brain tumours is limited, but there are serious gains being made in the world of research today, whether it be new approaches to treating pediatric medulloblastoma, or discovering potential new treatments for DIPG – one of the most fatal tumours in children.

You can read about many of these discoveries on our Research News page.

While Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada is here to help families on an emotional level, we are also working to improve the science by funding research into pediatric brain tumour treatments. Our goal is a cure, but it’s a long journey that can only be accomplished one step at a time.

Brain tumours are the leading cause of solid cancer death in children under the age of 20, and the third leading cause of solid cancer death in young adults ages 20-39. Non-malignant brain tumours carry many of the same traits as cancerous tumours, as well as many of the same lasting side-effects.

Brain tumours in children are different from those in adults and many require different treatment. Although as many as 60 per cent of children with brain tumours will survive, they are often left with long-term side effects.

Through our pediatric feature grant focus, we hope to find ways to improve quality of life, increase the efficacy of treatments, and ultimately find a cure for pediatric brain tumours.

As much as we wish we could, we can’t do it alone.

Donate today and help us #EndBrainTumours.

 

As part of our feature grant rollout, we sent questions to both a pediatric brain tumour researcher and patient, to get their insights into treatment, effects, and hope. 

Read Dr. Vijay Ramaswamy’s responses here

Read Adam Pike’s patient responses here