ABSTRACT
According to data from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS), the incidence of childhood brain tumors is 3.9 cases per 100,000 person-years, making brain tumors the most common solid malignancy of childhood. It is estimated that there are 26,000 children diagnosed with a primary brain tumor living in the United States, and over 3000 children are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor every year. Infratentorial tumors are more common in children aged 3-11years, while supratentorial tumors predominate in infants and toddlers, as well as in older children. The distribution of CNS tumors is much more diverse with regard to both histopathological type and grade when compared to adults. Though improvements in therapy have resulted in improved survival of children with brain tumors, mortality remains high, with an overall survival rate of 63% at 5 years following the diagnosis of a primary malignant brain tumor. In addition, morbidity from the tumors and their therapies is extremely high.
