Radiation therapy

Source: Childhood Medulloblastoma and Other Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumors Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: December 2, 2024 · Captured 2026-09-09.

Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.

Context: Treatment Option Overview / The following types of treatment may be used:

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. Medulloblastoma, other CNS embryonal tumors, or pineoblastoma in children may be treated with external beam radiation therapy. External beam radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the area of the body with cancer.

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Certain ways of giving external radiation therapy can help keep radiation from damaging nearby healthy tissue. These types of radiation therapy include:

Conformal radiation therapy uses a computer to make a 3-dimensional (3-D) picture of the tumor and shapes the radiation beams to fit the tumor. This allows a high dose of radiation to reach the tumor and causes less damage to nearby healthy tissue.

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Stereotactic radiation therapy uses a machine that aims radiation directly at the tumor, causing less damage to nearby healthy tissue. The total dose of radiation is divided into several smaller doses given over several days. A rigid head frame is attached to the skull to keep the head still during this radiation treatment. This procedure is also called stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotaxic radiation therapy.

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Because radiation therapy can affect growth and brain development in young children, especially children who are 3 years or younger, chemotherapy may be given to delay or reduce the need for radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy to the brain can also affect growth and development in children older than 3 years. For this reason, clinical trials are studying new ways of giving radiation that may have fewer side effects than standard methods.

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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice