Children with slow growing brain tumors in Switzerland lived a long time
Original title: Incidence and survival of pediatric low-grade gliomas in Switzerland.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This study only looked back at records of children already treated. It is not a new treatment.
The short version
Most children in this study with slow growing brain tumors were still alive many years later.
What was studied. Researchers looked at health records of children in Switzerland, aged 0 to 17. They found 591 children with a slow growing brain tumor called low grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells, the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4 describing how the tumor is expected to behave. See the glossary, from 1990 to 2019.
What they found. Most of these tumors, 82.0%, were the slowest growing kind. Surgery was used in 84.8% of the children. Long term survival for the whole group was over 90%. Children who had surgery plus radiation or chemo did worse. In that group, 40% were alive at 5 years and 20% at 10 years.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This is good news about long term survival for this type of tumor. But some groups did better than others. A lot depends on the tumor type and the treatment used. Ask the care team what these numbers mean for your own family.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a cure. The study did not test a new drug or a new treatment. It only counted what happened to children who were already treated in the past. These are group numbers, not a promise for any one child. Care in Switzerland may also differ from care where you live.
Source: PubMed, September 12, 2026 · Read the original
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