anaplastic ependymoma in 6yo?

You need a second opinion and maybe even a third. I am unsure why you would ask such a critical question regarding the precious life of your baby on Yahoo Answers.

Options include surgery followed by proton beam therapy to kill off the residual growth. In general, chemo is not offered to treat this type of brain tumor until after surgery.

Proton beam therapy following resection for childhood ependymoma

http://www.springerlink.com/content/q3452470607428...

Sorry that you are going through this and you have a tough decision to make . . . you make the best choice for your son and your family . . with no regrets. If your child is at the point where further treatment is just going to harm him than I think you know the answer about what to do . . but if your child can withstand further treatment and still maintain a good quality of life . .than the chance is justified. No one can answer this question for you. There are no 'right' or wrong answers in this situation.

You may find supportive help online and locate other parents in similar circumstances. Remember that children can withstand higher rates of treatment and bounce back better than adults . . so while treatments may be horrendous for someone older children seem to be able to handle it better. So do not base your decision on how you would feel with this treatment but base it on what you know your child can undergo.

Ependy Kids

http://ependykids.com/

Wow. First of all, you have my sympathy for what sounds like a devastating situation.

Clarification? It sounds like he has been treated for another cancer already and now this new location/tumor type has been found. Is that right?

For your question: This is a very common dilemma in pediatric oncology. Weighing benefit and risk is not easy. Heavy chemotherapy often causes sterility in children, for example. The surviving child then has a problem to deal with than may have major effects on his adult life. Other long term side effects may be the increased risk for additional cancers that come up later, or cardiac or pulmonary problems. Most parents will accept these risks for their child.

Treatment that will effect memory and cognition is a little more difficult. However, most of us here on this planet are living happy fulfilled lives without having a genius IQ, and dealing well with our learning disabilities, short attention spans, etc., though some people definitely have severe problems.

Consider the fact though, that these problems will show up in the long term, not in the next year or so. If you are buying time with chemo, the long term side effects may never show up, and it may be the short term side effects that will influence your decision more.

I wish your little guy the best in whatever treatment he has.

Hello. Firstly let me say I am sorry for your news. I highly doubt that any of the answers you will receive on here will be of any use to you whatsoever, as I doubt anyone who is specialist enough to answer such a question resides here.

You need to go and speak with a specialist, who can see the images which have been taken. You probably are scheduled in to see such a person, and I know the wait is long and painful, but no onee will be able to tell you what damage could possibly be done without seeing some MRI or CT images of your sons brain.

I too hope that a mixture of medication and surgery will halt the spread of the cancer, and my thoughts and prayers are with you.