Discovery of Likely Subtypes of Rare Childhood Brain Tumor Signals Diagnostic Advance

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Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the German Cancer Research Center have identified four subtypes of a rare brain tumor using various molecular techniques. This lays the foundation for more accurate diagnoses and tailored therapies for cancers that are hard to treat. Their research included an extremely in depth analysis for the genetic alterations of primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system (CNS-PNET). These tumors are very rare, but aggressive, and are most commonly diagnosed in young children. Researchers found that 61 percent of the CNS-PNET tumors could be reclassified as a different type of brain tumor due to shared molecular features. Based on reclassification, completely different treatments were suggested. Click here to read more. 

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