Pediatric Brain Tumors: Imaging of Late Effects in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors

Primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are the most frequent solid tumors in childhood and adolescence. In Germany, about 400 patients are newly diagnosed with a CNS tumor each year. Thanks to continuously optimized diagnostics, supportive care regimens, and multicentric, multimodal treatment concepts, their overall survival (OS) has increased from below 50 % up to 70 % over the last decades. Both tumor and treatment, and still developing CNS structures, make survivors prone to a risk of acquiring brain function deficits that are much higher than in adulthood or other childhood cancer survivors. Hence, this specifically vulnerable group of childhood cancer survivors must deal with chronic health conditions that may have serious impact on their physical, mental, emotional, and psychosocial development as well as their activity and participation as members of the society.