[Supportive therapy in brain tumors in children]

Abstract

Recent advances in brain tumors therapy in infancy may be attributed not only to surgical, chemical and physical therapies improvement, but also to a more complete and accurated assistance to the neoplastic child. The constant support of an up-to-date and specialized laboratory and nursing staff may reduce the most common compliances of the neoplastic disease course and therapy. Neoplastic child with his family is facing a terrible stress, often with incumbent death risks. So a psychologic help is advisable for the whole family, and the best feeling is requested for the physicians. Supportive therapy must provide prevention and correction of the most common compliances of tumoral conditions, i.e. infections and hemorrhages . A correct and specific antibiotic therapy is absolutely necessary, but sometime is not sufficient. The introduction of hemoderivatives let us to spare the side effects of excessive whole blood transfusions, while the defective component may be selectively provided. Granulocyte transfusion recently introduced, may be the clue to the resolution of an overcoming infection.