The doctor will perform a physical exam to determine the child's brain function, including tests of reflexes, vision and hearing.
The physician may perform a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, which uses electromagnetic waves to create images of the brain.
The doctor may perform surgery to determine whether a brain tumor exists. The physician may perform a biopsy to see what type of cancer it is. To do this, a neurosurgeon will cut through the skull to remove a small piece of tissue from the brain for examination under a microscope for cancer cells.
Looking at the biopsy tissue will help the physician determine the grade of the tumor. Lower-grade tumors look relatively normal, tend to grow more slowly and are less invasive than high-grade tumors.
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