Treatment of Ependymoblastoma

Ependymoblastoma is an aggressive and high-grade brain tumor. This disease is difficult to cure. In addition, this is a rare disease, and there are not many doctors in the world who have encountered such a disease. You can opt to have your treatment abroad to undergo your cancer treatment effectively and without any gross impairment of brain functions. You are welcome to visit the Booking Health service to find out the cost of treatment. The Booking Health website presents the world's best hospitals, where you will receive top-class medical care. Developed countries offer specialized centers whose doctors have experience in the treatment of ependymoblastoma.

Content

1. What is ependymoblastoma?
2. Diagnostics of the disease
3. How is ependymoblastoma treated?
4. Where to undergo your treatment of ependymoblastoma?

What is ependymoblastoma?

Ependymoblastoma is a rare malignant brain tumor that is mainly diagnosed in children. It is a primitive grade 4 neuroectodermal tumor. The neoplasm is usually located in the supratentorial area and is often associated with the ventricular system. Ependymoblastoma can very rarely be found outside the brain, for example, in the sacrococcygeal region.

Diagnostics of the disease

The symptoms of the disease are the same as those of other brain tumors. They are divided into focal (impairment of individual brain functions depending on the location of the tumor) and cerebral (headache, high cerebrospinal fluid pressure, signs of irritation of the meninges, etc.).

The main non-invasive method for diagnosing the disease is an MRI scan. Although the signs of this tumor are described in the literature, most neurosurgeons are not aware of this neoplasm and have never encountered this disease, so diagnostic errors are quite common. To avoid misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment, it is better to be examined at a reputable, specialized center that has vast experience in detecting and treating brain cancer.

The final diagnosis is confirmed following a histological examination of the tumor fragment. This can be sampled by means of a biopsy or by examining the surgical material after tumor surgical resection.

How is ependymoblastoma treated?

Since the disease is very rare, treatment is not standardized. Different medical centers use different cancer treatment methods.

Whenever possible, the first treatment for cancer is surgical removal of the tumor. Tumor resection may be total or partial. Total resection is more effective in cancer treatment, but it is not always possible since, at the time of detection, ependymoblastoma often reaches a significant size, so total resection is associated with a high risk of the development of severe neurological disorders.

Following cancer surgery, patients receive chemotherapy. In severe cases, cancer treatment with high-dose chemotherapy followed by the patient's own stem cell transplant is possible. Radiation therapy can rarely be used for cancer treatment. In children, brain irradiation often leads to a delay in intellectual development and neurological deficits and can also provoke the appearance of secondary brain tumors. It is desirable to use advanced radiation therapy options that are more sparing to reduce these risks. The best treatment method for brain cancer in children treated with radiation is proton therapy, but its price is much higher compared to standard irradiation.

The treatment of the disease may sometimes begin with chemotherapy. Ependymoblastoma is then reduced in size and removed surgically. After the operation, doctors resume chemotherapy.

In many cases, ependymoblastoma is inoperable at the time of its detection. If it cannot be transferred to a resectable state with the help of drugs, then chemotherapy, sometimes along with radiation therapy, becomes the main treatment method for the disease. Depending on the results, doctors may consider a stem cell transplant after high-dose chemotherapy with craniospinal irradiation (whole brain radiation therapy).

Where to undergo your treatment of ependymoblastoma?

You can undergo your cancer treatment abroad. In countries with a high level of medical development, cancer treatment is carried out using the latest methods. Surgical treatment abroad involves the use of modern neuronavigation systems and functional diagnostic methods that help preserve the most important areas of the brain, avoiding significant neurological deficits. New models of linear accelerators are used to irradiate tumors, and proton therapy, the safest type of irradiation for children, is available at advanced hospitals.

You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to undergo your treatment abroad. On our website, you can find out the cost of treatment for diseases at different hospitals and compare prices. The Booking Health specialists will help you select a hospital and take care of all the arrangements for your treatment abroad. When you choose a medical care program through Booking Health, the cost of treatment for the diseases you have will be lower due to the absence of additional taxes for foreign patients.

Authors: 

The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!

Sources:

National Library of Medicine

Healthline

UpToDate