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Tumors of the Central Nervous System

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Nursing Care of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Patient

Abstract

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the most common solid tumors in childhood. For example, there are approximately 2,000 brain tumors diagnosed in children each year in the United States. While the incidence of reported pediatric brain tumors has been increasing over the past few decades, this is probably because of improvements in diagnostic capabilities and reporting. Recent advances in diagnostic capabilities, aggressive surgical techniques, and multimodal therapy, including radiation and/or chemotherapy, have led to longer survival and even cure of some classifications of pediatric brain tumors.

Written by a well-known nurse practitioner specializing in pediatric brain tumors, this chapter provides an overview of cancers, treatments, and the latest information on research and clinical trials. A mother provides the touching story of her daughter’s brain tumor diagnosis, which helps to put the clinical picture into clear focus for the neuroscience nurse.

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Correspondence to Tania Shiminski-Maher MS, CPNP .

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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Shiminski-Maher, T. (2013). Tumors of the Central Nervous System. In: Cartwright, C., Wallace, D. (eds) Nursing Care of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Patient. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32554-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32554-0_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-32553-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-32554-0

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