American Childhood Cancer Organization

The central nervous system (CNS) is composed of the brain and the spinal cord, a delicate and sensitive column of nerves protected by the boney vertebrae of the spine. Statistically, CNS cancers are all grouped together as “brain and spinal cord tumors”, but of course in reality, there are a number of different and distinct types of spinal cord tumors, and each specific tumor requires a unique treatment approach and carries its own outlook for long-term survivorship

In the summer of 2018, Kaydence began bruising easily and looked exhausted. Her mother, Tarah noticed her color was off and on the night of July 4, 2018, she had a gut feeling that something was wrong

CEO, Ruth Hoffman and Access to Childhood Cancer Essentials (ACCESS) co-founder Avram Denburg worked on a global initiative that is improving the availability of cancer related medications for children. “Childhood cancer has no borders; yet, sadly childhood cancer medicines do,” said Ruth Hoffman, CEO of the American Childhood Cancer Organization, and co-founder of ACCESS. In January, a partnership with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. led to emergency provisions of 13 cancer medicines included on the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicine List – more than 17,000 vials – to children with cancer in Ethiopia. ACCESS is also launching an innovative research program to study the many critical barriers to childhood cancer drug access in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

However, generally speaking, spinal cord tumors are often significantly more difficult to treat with surgery; therefore, for many (but not all) patients, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy will play a larger role in the treatment of spinal cord tumors than it does for some of the more common types of brain tumors. Your child’s oncology team will help you understand the risks and benefits of radiation therapy as a potential treatment option, to ensure that you are educated in the best treatment options for your child. Treatment Options for Some Common Types of Spinal Cord Tumors We will present some of the most common types of spinal cord tumors and their “recommended” treatment options here; however, it is important to remember that every child and every diagnosis is unique. And most importantly, ACCO is focused on the children: developing and providing educational tools for children fighting cancer and their families, empowering them in their understanding of childhood cancer and the medical decisions they must make during this difficult journey.