Any specialist for brain tumour in a child?

[lilasimpson]

I am writing on behalf of a friend in France whose relative , 4 years old, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour which according to the doctors is uncurable... As a parent, I am v touched by that and the little boy's parents are desperate for a second opinion and need help even if it means travelling abroad... Any experience? Thank you

Can you phone Great Ormond Street hospital and speak to them? - they should know the best specialists for all childhood diseases.

Andy Teo in Sydney is the guy who operates on 'inpperable' tumours. It's a long way to go though. Maybe google him for contact details and see about a phone consultation? If you can get him the imaging he might be able to offer a professional opinion.
Best of luck.

Whoops, that should be inoperable

Where has he been seen so far?

This man saw my niece when she had a brain tumour on her cerebellum at 21mo - successfully removed in a 9hour operation (apart from a tiny segment which is checked every year - niece is now days off her 8th birthday and doing well)

He works out of Kings College Hospital still (despite this being his private page) - my niece was treated on the NHS there.

I hope that your friend's little boy does get a second chance.

Thank you all! Will keep you updated.

Simon Stapleton

My son age 16 has a brain tumour. He is under the care of a wonderful team at Addenbrookes hospital Cambridge. My thoughts and prayers are with your friends family - it is the most heartbreaking and devastating of diagnoses. Please pm me if you think I can help in any way.

Sorry to hear about this poorly little one :(

www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Directory/People/B/Eric-Bouffet-Staff-Profile.html

sorry not sure if this will link as never done it before but if you can get details from above please speak to this man. He is so pro-active and will always email people back.

He is not actually a neuro-surgeon but a paediatric neuro-oncologist but has excellent links and I cannot recommend his dedication and abilities enough. Some of his details are below:

Dr. Eric Bouffet is Professor of Paediatrics in the University of Toronto and Head of the Neuro-oncology Section in the Division of Haematology/Oncology at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. Dr. Bouffet graduated in 1980 from the medical school at the University of Lyon. Following graduation Dr. Bouffet trained and practiced in Lyon; he was Head of the Department of Neuro-oncology, Centre Leon Berard, during the period 1992-1995. Dr. Bouffet then moved to the United Kingdom where he was Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at the Hospital for Sick Children, Bristol (1996-1998) and the Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton UK (1998-2000). In 2000 Dr. Bouffet was recruited to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto to develop and Head a multidisciplinary paediatric Neuro-oncology Program within the Division of Haematology/Oncology. In 1998-2001 Dr. Bouffet was Chairman of the Brain Tumour Committee of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP). Dr. Bouffet is a Senior Associate Scientist in the Research Institute at The Hospital for Sick Children. His research interests are in the area of novel treatments and clinical trials in children with brain tumours. Dr. Bouffet is author of over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts and author/co-author on numerous book chapters in the field of neurooncology. Dr. Bouffet was the recipient of the Division's Alvin Zipursky Teaching Award in 2002.

All the best x

Sorry just wanted to add that some tumours that are considered 'inoperable' may be assisted by chemotherapy etc so that they can then be operated on or to extend life and he really is worth contacting even if they are currently thinking that surgery is the lo's only hope it is good to explore all options.

thank you all for your messages, will pass that on...minmooch, sorry to hear about your son....wish him a good recovery...all the best