Central nervous system

Abstract

Chapter 6 discusses brain tumours, the commonest solid neoplasms of children and young people, which account for about one-quarter of all malignancies in this age group. There are many different varieties: medulloblastomas and other embryonal tumours, and low- and high-grade gliomas, form the commonest categories. Craniopharyngiomas, ependymomas, intracranial germ cell tumours, and other rare types are less frequently encountered. Most brain and spinal tumours are treated with a multimodality schedule comprising surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The place of radiotherapy in the management of central nervous system tumours is described in detail.