Although cancer is rare in children, brain and spinal cord tumors are the second most common type of childhood cancer, after leukemia. Brain tumors can occur in both children and adults. Treatment for children is usually different than treatment for adults. (See the PDQ summary on Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment for more information about the treatment of adults.)
Metastatic tumors are formed by cancer cells that begin in other parts of the body and spread to the brain or spinal cord. Treatment of metastatic brain and spinal cord tumors is not covered in this summary.
The cause of most childhood brain and spinal cord tumors is unknown.
Source: www.cancer.gov/types/brain/patient/child-brain-treatment-pdq