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Solving the DIPG Puzzle a Single Cell at a Time
For more than 15 years, pediatric neuro-oncologist Mariella Filbin, MD, PhD, has been on a scientific crusade to understand DIPGs.
The Shape-Shifting Nature of Glioblastoma
A new study, analyzing the tumor cell by cell, reveals that glioblastoma can morph between four distinct cell types.
Types of Brain Tumors in Children
If your child is diagnosed with a brain tumor, you will learn there are many different brain tumor types and classifications based upon the tumor’s cell structure, composition, rate of growth, location, and other characteristics. The name and classification of the tumor may change as your doctor gains new information about your child’s brain tumor or if the tumor changes over time.
The types of brain tumors most common in children are not the same as those most common in adults. Childhood brain tumors frequently appear in different locations and behave differently than brain tumors in adults.
Read our overview of childhood brain tumors, or learn about specific types of brain tumors below.
Types of Childhood Brain Tumors
Germ cell tumors of the brain, including germinoma
Gliomas
There are four stages or “grades” of gliomas, according to how the cells look under a microscope. Ordered from least severe to most severe, they are:
- Low-grade gliomas
- grade I (pilocytic)
- grade II (fibrillary)
- High-grade gliomas
- grade III (anaplastic)
- grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme or GBM)
Gliomas also can be named according to the type of glial cells involved or the location of the tumor. Glioma diagnoses include:
- Angiocentric glioma
- Astrocytoma
- Anaplastic astrocytoma
- Fibrillary astrocytoma
- Pilocytic astrocytoma
- Thalamic and hypothalamic astrocytoma
- Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG)
- Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET)
- Ganglioglioma and glial neuronal tumors
- Gliomatosis cerebri
- Gliosarcoma
- Oligodendroglioma
- Optic nerve glioma
- Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA)
- Tectal glioma
Neural tumors
- Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT)
- Medulloblastoma
- Neurocytoma
- Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) and pineoblastoma
Other
- Craniopharyngioma
- Ependymoma
- Meningioma
- Neurofibroma/plexiform neurofibroma
- Schwannoma (neurilemoma)
- Spinal cord tumors
Treatment for all types of brain tumors in children
The Brain Tumor Center at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's is a world-renowned destination for children with malignant and non-malignant childhood brain tumors. Meet our brain tumor specialists.