Medulloblastoma

Medullobastoma overview

Medulloblastoma is the most-common, malignant, childhood brain tumour. Medulloblastoma can inhibit the cerebellum, affecting movement and balance in patients. Medulloblastoma symptoms include headaches, tiredness and nausea. Medulloblastoma treatment almost always includes surgery to remove as much of a tumour as possible.

New treatment approaches for medulloblastoma are desperately needed, not only to improve survival rates but, crucially, to reduce the devastating morbidity associated with current treatments. In 2020 we agreed to continue funding the Children’s Brain Tumour Drug Delivery Consortium‘s international initiative until at least 2022. We have also funded 5 further projects into brain tumours totalling over 1.5 million.

What is medulloblastoma?

Medulloblastoma is a malignant, embryonal brain tumour that develops in the posterior fossa. Growths here can inhibit the cerebellum, which controls movement and balance in patients. On some occasions, it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the spine or lungs, through the central nervous system (CNS).

Incidence

Medulloblastomas account for 15%-20% all childhood brain tumours; they are most common in children between and 8. Boys are at a slightly higher risk than girls. More than 70% of cases occur in children under the age of 10; incidence decreases significantly with age.

How is medulloblastoma treated?

A combination of treatments for medulloblastomas is currently in use. Surgery is almost always used to remove as much of a tumour as possible. If a tumour cannot be completely removed this way, a follow-up course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy may be given. Steroids may also be prescribed to reduce the swelling associated with medulloblastoma brain tumours, although these do not stop the overall growth.

With surgery playing a large part in treatment, medulloblastoma treatment can be very aggressive.

We are funding a variety of research projects to learn more about how medulloblastoma develops in the posterior fossa and how it can be treated. You can read more about these below, or to learn more about CNS tumour treatments, visit our Brain & CNS Tumour page.

Charlie’s victory

We drove to another hospital and he was put on steroids straight away. When we walked into the hospital and I saw kids with pumps and bald heads, I couldn’t believe what was happening, ‘we shouldn’t be here’, I thought. Charlie needed a seven-hour operation to remove the tumour, followed by intensive radiotherapy. The radiotherapy caused burning on his head and spine. He stopped eating because his oesophagus was burnt too, so he was on a nose feed at night.

Charlie also needed one year of chemotherapy to fight the medulloblastoma, with treatment every six weeks. During this time, our whole family life was on hold, but we had great support from everyone, we all got through it together.

We learnt to accept what was happening and learnt to cope with everything that was thrown at us. The last scan was six years after he was first diagnosed. When they told us that they didn’t need to see us anymore, what a relief!”

If you’ve been touched by Charlie’s journey, help us invest in the high quality research which would otherwise go unfunded, helping to support children with posterior fossa tumours or other cancer types so they can be with their families for longer.