Untreated: Treatment varies according to where the tumor is located within the brain stem. When the tumor is diffuse and too difficult to remove surgically, the doctor will use radiation therapy.
Recurrent: Treatment varies depending on the type of tumor, whether the tumor recurs in the place it originated or in another part of the brain, and the type of treatment the child originally received. The doctor may surgically remove the tumor or give chemotherapy. Chemotherapy tends to be more effective in children with low-grade tumors or those that grow out from the brain stem. A clinical trial of new chemotherapy drugs is the only therapeutic option for patients with recurrent diffuse tumors.
