Children's National offers the full range of pediatric brain tumor therapies. Many of our patients are treated on clinical trials. Available treatment types include:
Surgery
As one of the top-rated neurosurgery programs, Children’s National treats children from across the country and all over the world.
We use minimally invasive procedures whenever possible. Special tools, such as intraoperative imaging and, high intensity focused ultrasound help us perform procedures with an extraordinary level of precision. We are one of few children’s hospitals where this is available.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy medications interfere with cancer cell growth. Often combined with radiation therapy, Children’s National uses multiple different regimens to treat different types of brain tumors with delivery methods ranging from oral to intravenous to delivery directly into the cerebrospinal fluid. Particularly intensive regimens can be supported with the re-infusion of the patients own blood forming stem cells to reduce the risks of infection.
A member of our team developed a way to successfully treat neurofibromatosis and visual pathway gliomas using a specific combination of chemotherapy medications. This approach is now considered the standard of care around the world. Learn more about our Neurofibromatosis Institute.
Radiation
Radiation uses special energy waves to fight cancer. What makes radiation therapy special at Children’s National are those extra steps we take to minimize your child’s risk for complications. We use the lowest possible radiation dose while still ensuring the most effective treatment.
At the cutting edge of pediatric radiation therapy, Children’s National, in collaboration with Sibley Memorial Hospital (Johns Hopkins Medicine), created the first dedicated Pediatric Radiation Oncology Program in Washington, D.C., featuring a state-of-the-art proton beam facility.
Targeted Therapies
To help children for whom traditional therapies are not successful, experts at Children's National are exploring promising new treatments through research and clinical trials.
These include:
- Biologics. These medications are made from living things, such viruses and antibodies. We are one of few programs in the country evaluating the effectiveness of biologics for brain cancers.
- Molecularly-targeted drugs. These include medications designed to interfere with tumor cell reproduction at the molecular level. We are actively researching ways to increase the safety and effectiveness of these drugs
- Cellular therapy. This treatment customizes the body’s immune system to fight cancer and infection. We are one of few centers in the world offering a cellular therapy program for children
- Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU). As one of the few pediatric brain tumor programs with the equipment to treat patients with LIFU, Children’s National investigators are leading the way in using this technology to increase the penetrance of chemotherapy into tumor tissues as well as activating anti-tumor drugs directly in tumor cells to minimize the toxicity of the therapies. Learn more about focused ultrasound therapies.