CHENNAI : Studies show that from a total of 40,000-50,000 people who are diagnosed with brain tumour, 20 per cent are children. The impact of brain tumour on the cognitive thinking can damage the life of the child. Dr Lakshminarayanan, senior consultant — Paediatric Neurology & Epileptology, from Rainbow Children’s Hospital, spoke to CE about the implications of tumour on the brain, ways to recover from the harmful radiations from various therapies and red flags to watch out for.
What are the symptoms of brain tumour in children?
Most times, especially in the case of slow-growing tumours, there may not be any immediately visible symptoms. It can cause seizures and is notorious for causing epilepsy. When the tumour is a fast-growing one, it can cause headaches, vomiting, lethargy and dullness.
Parents must be aware to see if there is a change in the child’s behaviour and their playful attitude. If the child complains of a new onset of headache with vomiting and dullness, it is a symptom that should not be ignored. If the child is known to have headaches, then emphasis must be laid on whether it is the same or different kind of pain. If it is not the usual headache, it must be checked.
What are the implications?
This entirely depends on the location of the tumour. Certain critical locations like the brain stem, which is the most common location for tumours to form, or even the small brain cause sleepiness and also weakens the hands or legs. Tumours in the temporal lobe affect cognition, memory and school performance.
Who is more susceptible to developing brain tumours?
There is no specific age group that is at high risk because a tumour can form at any age. But commonly, tumours develop at peak ages, which is the first two-three years of a child or late childhood or teenage years. Further, children with Neurofibromatosis, Down Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis and Phillangestacia have a higher incidence of brain tumours. While brain tumours in children are uncommon, it does occur.
What are the ways to recover from the harmful radiations that children undergoing therapy face?
There are different types of radiation and doctors will plan radiation dosages and area according to the age of the child, size and location of the tumour. The higher the dose, the more the complication. Apart from the dosage, there is also individual predisposition or variability because different children react differently to radiation. It is important for these children to stay well hydrated, eat nutritious food and be kept in an environment that does not make them vulnerable to infection.
What is a common mistake that parents make when it comes to the treatment ?
It happens quite often that when a doctor tells a parent that the tumour is located at a critical place in the brain and requires palliative surgery and radiation, many parents switch to alternative therapy. What they do not realise is that no alternative therapy can cure brain tumours.
In the process, they lose three to six months, which can increase the complications. They further do not understand that some brain tumours are not bad. One advice I would give parents is not to allow children to sleep with electronic devices near their head. While there is a lot of contention as to whether this causes radiation or not, it is still not a good practice and should be avoided.
Tumour facts
Brain tumours are of many types, of which some can be cancerous.
Paediatric brain tumours, which is also the second most common cancer among children after leukaemia, are masses or growths of abnormal cells that develop in the child’s brain.
If the tumour puts pressure on certain areas of the brain, it can hamper the functions of the body.
Brain tumours can be treated if the ailment is discovered early.
Slow-growing tumours are cured with surgery alone whereas the fast-growing ones require radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
A small percentage of brain tumours are linked to genetic disorders and known environmental hazards, such as exposure to certain toxins or radiations.
Brain tumours affect the cognitive thinking of the child. It can be mild and may not be noticed easily.
Keep a check
Parents must be aware to see if there is a change in the child’s behaviour and their playful attitude. If the child complains of a new onset of headache with vomiting, it should not be ignored.
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