Stages and Grades of Childhood Central Nervous System Tumors

Executive Summary

The staging system of the childhood central nervous system helps determine the location of the tumor and its metastasis. It effectively determines the child’s prognosis and allows the doctor to plan its treatment. The central nervous system’s grade in children helps determine the extent of similarity of tumor with the healthy cells. Tumor grade is ranked from Grade I to Grade IV (1 to 4). Grades I and II are considered low-grade; Grades III and IV are considered high-grade. In general, a child with a low-grade tumor has a better prognosis. Recurrence of central nervous system tumor occurs in case it is treated.

Stages and Grades of Childhood-Central Nervous System Tumors

Staging determines where the Central Nervous System Tumor is located, whether it has spread, and how it grows. While assessing the cancer stage, many factors are taken into account.

Doctors use diagnostic tests to discover cancer types and stages of Central Nervous System Tumors, so staging may not be complete until all tests are finished. 

Several types of childhood Central Nervous System tumors can spread through the spinal fluid surrounding the brain and the spine. Staging helps determine the child’s prognosis (chance of recovery) and allows the doctor to plan the child’s treatment(s) ^​1​.

Grades of Central Nervous System Tumors

As explained in the Introduction, doctors often describe a Central Nervous System tumor by its grade. Central Nervous System tumor grade represents how similar the tumor cells look to healthy cells when viewed under a microscope. tumor grade is ranked from Grade I to Grade IV (1 to 4). Grades I and II are considered low-grade; Grades III and IV are considered high-grade. In general, a child with a low-grade tumor has a better prognosis ^​2​.

Recurrence of Central Nervous System tumor

A recurrent tumor is a tumor that comes back after treatment. If the Central Nervous System tumor returns, there will sometimes be a biopsy and other tests to learn about the extent of the recurrence. These tests and scans mostly resemble those done at the original diagnosis.

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