The latest data shows how brain cancer becomes the leading cancer killer for children in the United States overtaking Leukemia which found its spot in the second place. Doctors said brain cancer is more difficult to treat with chemotherapy due to the blood-brain barrier that blocks the toxins entrance to nervous system.

Better treatments for leukemia patients have recently discovered unlike brain cancer that did not have great strides in the recent years according to the CEO of National Brian Tumor Society David Arons in an interview with NBC News. Moreover, the brain-cancer death rates increased is not acceptable to NBTS since they are hoping for breakthrough such as tremendous profiling for tumors and finding best match of drugs in which tumors are likely to respond. Also, they are working towards developing therapies that would increase the survival rate of a patient.

While pediatric cancer deaths for leukemia has dropped 20 percent from 1999 to 2014, the case for brain cancer fatalities has tremendously increased to 534 in 2014 from 516 in 1999 as reported by Reuters. The lack of pediatric brain tumor researched is cited as one of the reason for the significant increase in the number of children fatalities in the United States according to the head of pediatric neuro-oncology Katherine Warren of National Cancer Institute.

Warren added that pediatric brain cancer is the most difficult to treat because of blood-barrier that blocks the toxins entrance to nervous system. Because of this brain mechanism, chemotherapy is not likely to become successful. Unlike in the case of leukemia where therapy is directly injected to the blood, it will go straight to the bone marrow where the cancer lies. Thus, she emphasized the needs for further research. Aside from learning that brain cancer is difficult to treat, the National Cancer Institute has recently discovered how childhood tumors differ from adult tumors.

According to the NCHS, aside from brain cancer and leukemia, there are other three common cancer killers for kids in 2014: bone and cartilage cancer, mesothelial and soft tissue and thyroid and other endocrine glands.

Read more