Brain Tumors in Children

This book is a comprehensive and up-to-date compendium of all aspects of brain tumors in children. After introductory chapters on the epidemiology of brain tumors, the book will provide readers with state-of-the art chapters on the principals of radiation therapy, neurosurgery and neuroimaging. Subsequent chapters discuss the biology and treatment of specific types of brain tumors. The concluding chapters present critical information relevant to survivorship, neurocognitive and other late effects, and the global challenges to better diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors in children. This book is co-authored by experts in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors. All of the authors are internationally recognized authorities and they offer an evidence-based consensus on the biology and treatment of brain tumors. This handbook has far-reaching applicability to the clinical diagnosis and management of brain tumors in children and will prove valuable to specialists, generalists and trainees alike.

Amar Gajjar, M.D., is Chair of the Department of Pediatric Medicine at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA. He has a long history at St. Jude, having undertaken a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship there from 1989 to 1992 and then an additional year of Fellowship in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology. Since joining the Division of Neuro-Oncology as a Faculty Member in 1993, he has risen steadily through the academic ranks. He was appointed Division Director of Neuro-Oncology in 2002 and promoted to Full Member (Professor) in 2004. In 2005, he was appointed Co-Leader of the Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program. In recognition of his academic excellence, in 2007 he was awarded the Scott and Tracie Hamilton Endowed Chair in Brain Tumor Research. He took up his present position in 2016. Nationally, Dr. Gajjar has served as the Chair of the Brain Tumor Committee in the Children’s Oncology Group (2009–17). Dr. Gajjar is principal or co-principal investigator in several innovative clinical trials of new treatments for a variety of brain tumors. He serves on the editorial boards of Neuro-Oncology and UpToDate and is a past editorial board member of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Dr Gajjar has contributed significantly to the literature and has published work in various high impact journals. 

Gregory H. Reaman, M.D. joined the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Office of New Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the Associate Director of the Office of Oncology Drug Products in 2011. He is the Founding and Immediate Past Chair of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) having served in this capacity from 2000 through 2010. The COG is comprised of over 200 member institutions, dedicated to clinical, translational, and epidemiology research in childhood cancer. He is a Professor of Pediatrics at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and a member of the Division of Hematology-Oncology at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., which he directed for more than 17 years. He has served on the Editorial Boards of Leukemia, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, The Oncologist, Cancer, and Physicians Data Query (PDQ), National Cancer Institute as well as www.PLWC.org (People Living with Cancer, now Cancer.net). He has served as an Associate Editor of Cancer and Leukemia and Lymphoma. He served on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society and chaired its Task Force on Children and Cancer. He has authored or co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and more than 25 books and book chapters. His research interests include the biology and therapy of childhood acute leukemia and new drug development for pediatric cancer.

Judy M. Racadio is a former Emergency Medicine physician who currently performs medical writing and editing for various academic medical, private medical, and corporate departments. She received her M.D. in 1992 from the University of Cincinnati. After completing her Emergency Medicine residency, she spent 6 years as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Since leaving clinical medicine, she has provided editorial assistance for textbooks on pediatric leukemia, pediatric hematopoetic cell transplant and pediatric radiology. She has also written a series of continuing education modules for radiology technologists and has co-authored or provided editorial assistance for more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Emergency Medicine Cardiac Research and Education Group (EMCREG).

Franklin O. Smith, III, M.D., FAAP, FACP, is Vice President for Medical Affairs at Medpace and is Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training in pediatrics at the University of Florida and fellowship training in pediatric hematology/oncology at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Prior to joining Medpace, Dr. Smith was the Clinical Director at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute. Previously, he was the Director, Division of Hematology/Oncology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Vice-Chair of the Children's Oncology Group. He has authored more than 170 articles in medical and scientific journals. Dr. Smith is active with various national and international committees and societies in the field of research and clinical care. He serves on National Board of Directors for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, President of the Board of Managers for FACT Consulting Services, faculty for the ASCO/AACR Clinical Cancer Research Workshop, and a member of the NCI's Central Institutional Review Board. Dr. Smith has also served on standing and ad hoc committees for the FDA and NIH.