Who can enter
• Children or adolescents with a new low-grade glioma, or when the tumor starts growing
• Age: 0 up to and including 21 years old
Goal
The goal of this study is to learn more about the different types of low-grade glioma in children. To this end, the Princess Máxima Center participates in an extensive and international database of patients with low-grade glioma. In this database, specific data regarding the patient, tumor, treatment and disease course will be collected. With this extensive information, we hope to obtain new knowledge for the development of novel treatments.
Background
A low-grade glioma is a tumor in the brain that originates from cells that support the nerve cells. This tumor is usually a slow growing tumor. Most children with low-grade glioma survive for a long time. Even when a residual part of the tumor is still present. However, most children experience a variety of symptoms.
There are multiple types of low-grade glioma. We want to learn more about the origin and behavior (for example, how fast the tumor grows) of low-grade glioma. Therefore, we will analyse the genetic material of both tumor and healthy cells of children and adolescents with low-grade glioma.
The genetic material in cells is called DNA. DNA contains all kinds of information about different characteristics of the body (for example, the information for eye color). Small changes in DNA can cause cancer. They can also cause one treatment to help while another does not. We call these small changes in DNA biological data. These will be part of the database.
We will also look into medical data. These are data such as how old a child or adolescent is when the tumor is diagnosed. Or how he or she is doing after the treatment.
All these biological and medical data will be anonymously collected in the database. With anonymous we mean that we cannot see in the database to whom it relates. Small amounts of tumor and blood will be stored separately at the laboratory. These are leftovers from blood and tumor samples that were collected during tests or surgeries done as part of the child or adolescent's care.
By looking very carefully at all these biological and medical data, we can learn more about the origin and behaviour of low-grade glioma. And also how the disease develops in children and adolescents. In this way, we can obtain new knowledge to develop novel treatment approaches.
This study will only collect data and body material. The study does not affect the treatment.