Recurrent tumors grow back after being removed or stabilized. Recurrence commonly occurs in the same area as the original tumor, but may develop in another part of the brain or spinal cord. Both benign and malignant brain tumors can recur after initial treatment. A brain tumor that has been treated with radiation or chemotherapy may disappear or remain in remission, a state in which the tumor cells stop multiplying. Remission can be temporary or permanent.

Recurrent miscarriage is defined as three or more miscarriages in a row. About 1 to 2 percent of women suffer recurrent miscarriage.

When the kneecap comes out of joint the first time, ligaments that were holding the kneecap in position are torn. The most commonly torn structure is called the medial patellofemoral ligament, or MPFL. This ligament secures the patella to the inside (medial) of the knee. When a kneecap dislocation occurs, something must fail to allow the kneecap out of the groove, and usually it is the MPFL.

RPL is the loss of two or more pregnancies at any gestational age. About 5 percent of women suffer RPL. For example, a couple may have a history of a six week miscarriage, successful pregnancy, and then another miscarriage at eight weeks of gestation.

Secondary recurrent miscarriage is the loss of at least three pregnancies to miscarriage following one successful pregnancy.

Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (islet cell tumors) are much less common than tumors arising from the exocrine pancreas. Reports often indicate that there are about two to three thousand cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year - although autopsy indicates that there may be a higher incidence of these islet cell tumors than are diagnosed. About 75% of these tumors are "functioning.

The symptoms depend on the size of the tumor and the location. Symptoms are caused by damage to vital tissue and by pressure from the tumor or swelling, which may happen if the tumor blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

The causes of brain tumors are not known. Brain tumors are not contagious. They can occur at any age, although they are most common in children 3-12 years old and adults 40-70 years old. Risk factors include working in industries such as oil refining, rubber manufacturing and drug manufacturing; other studies show chemists and embalmers have higher incidence of brain tumors. Researchers also are looking at exposure to viruses as a possible cause.

There are primary and secondary brain tumors. Tumors that begin in brain tissue are known as primary tumors. Secondary tumors are when cancer spreads from another site to the brain, which is called metastasis. Brain tumors are classified by the type of tissue in which they begin. The most common brain tumors are gliomas. Astrocytomas arise from small, star-shaped cells called astrocytes. They may grow anywhere in the brain or spinal cord. In adults, astrocytomas most often arise in the cerebrum.

The doctor develops a treatment plan to fit each patient, depending on the patient’s age and general health and the type, location and size of the tumor. Brain tumors are treated with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Before treatment most patients are given steroids to reduce swelling. They may also be given anticonvulsant medications to prevent seizures. Surgery is the usual treatment for most brain tumors. To remove the tumor, the neurosurgeon makes an opening in the skull.

We don't know because funding for benign brain tumor research is virtually nonexistent. That's about to change. In October 2002, Congress passed the Benign Brain Tumor Cancer Registries Amendment Act, which will force hospitals, clinics and doctors to report pituitary tumor incidence rates in the data collection of cancer registries. The problem remains diagnosis. No report of incidence rates is possible without it.

A pituitary tumor is a tumor that begins in the pituitary gland. Most pituitary tumors are not cancer. In fact, cancerous pituitary tumors are so rare that state and national cancer agencies keep no record of how many people get them each year. Benign (non-cancerous) pituitary tumors are also rare. About 3,000 people get them each year.

understanding of the molecular details of the relationship between cellular senescence and cancer has begun to emerge. Cells probably need to accumulate at least 4-6 mutations to become tumorigenic, and each mutation likely requires an expansion of the mutant clone to at least a million cells (20 doublings) before there are a sufficient number of cells in which the next mutation could occur.

A brain tumor diagnosis usually involves several steps, which can include a neurological examination, brain scan(s) and/or a biopsy. Should a child’s symptoms lead the doctor to suspect a tumor, a neurological examination will be given. This is a series of tests to measure the function of the child’s nervous system and physical and mental alertness. If responses to the neurological exam are not normal, the doctor may order a scan.

The standard treatments for brain tumors are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In some cases when the tumor is slow growing, the treatment team may delay surgery and use frequent scans to monitor the tumor's growth. Sometimes surgery alone will cure a brain tumor. In general, radiation and chemotherapy treatments are used as secondary or adjuvant treatments for tumors that cannot be managed using only surgery.

You can visit our Link Library for other pediatric resources or post a message on the NBTF Message Boards. In addition, you can call NBTF or contact the agencies below for more information and referrals. For a free copy of A Resource Guide for Parents of Children with Brain or Spinal Cord Tumors available in English and Spanish (Guia de recursos para padres de niños con tumors cerebrales o de médula espinal), contact the Childrens Brain Tumor Foundation at 866.228.HOPE (866.228.

Some tumor types are more common in children than in adults. The most common types of childhood tumors are brain stem gliomas, craniopharyngiomas, ependymomas, juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas, medulloblastomas, optic nerve gliomas, pineal tumors, primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET), and rhabdoid tumors. Symptoms can develop slowly and subtly and may go unnoticed for months. In other cases, the symptoms may arise abruptly.

The primary treatment for these tumors is surgery. It is important for the doctor to keep checking for cancer cells left behind. The surgery ends when all cancer cells have been removed. This is called perioperative microscopic examination of surgical margins. If the tumor is large, cryotherapy (freezing of the tumor) may be needed. Researchers are also studying the use of chemotherapy eye drops for people who have conjunctival melanoma (and have tumors in several places on the eye).

These are rare tumors. They can be either primary tumors of the iris (e.g. malignant melanoma) or spread from another tumor (e.g. breast, lung). Treatment of these tumors depends on whether the tumor is growing and also whether there is any complication from the tumor (e.g. uncontrolled glaucoma). In the case of glaucoma that does not get better with medication, or if the tumor is growing quickly, it may be necessary to remove the entire eye.

Melanomas. The treatment for choroidal melanomas can include thermal destruction (cryotherapy or photocoagulation), radiation, local resection or complete removal of the eye, or no treatment at all (observation alone). The choice depends on the size of the tumor, on whether or not it is growing, and whether or not the person is having symptoms. All these options should be discussed in depth with the doctor, weighing all the risks and benefits of each choice. Nevus.

The tumors most often associated with hypercalcemia in dogs are lymphoma and anal sac adenocarcinoma. Often the lymphoma is in the cranial mediastinal region, or it can be in the gastrointestinal tract or bone marrow. Other tumors causing hypercalcemia include thymoma, carcinomas (bronchogenic, pancreatic, skin, etc.) and multiple myeloma. In cats, lymphoma and squamous cell carcinomas are the most common causes of hypercalcemia.

Recurrent colorectal cancer is cancer that has come back, or recurred, months or years after treatment. Sometimes it returns to the same area. Sometimes it shows up in other parts of the body, most often the liver.

Recurrent strokes occur in about 25 percent of stroke victims within five years after a first stroke. The risk is greatest right after a stroke and decreases over time. The likelihood of severe disability and death increases with each recurrent stroke. About 3 percent of stroke patients have a second stroke within 30 days of their first stroke, and about one-third have a second stroke within two years.

Recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring and mapping using EMG (electromyography) is the latest in technological innovation in thyroid and parathyroid surgery.  A special endotracheal tube with right and left electrodes is placed near the muscles of the vocal cords which are innervated by the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

It depends on the type of tumor and how far it has invaded into the brain, as well as the patient's age and overall health. Three kinds of treatment are used: surgery (removing the tumor during an operation), radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays/proton beams to kill tumor cells) and drug therapy to shrink and sometimes eradicate the tumor. Drugs can also block the pituitary gland from making too much hormone.

Pituitary tumors that affect hormones may cause a variety of symptoms, which are related to high hormone levels and production. These symptoms will be different in children than in adults. Growth hormone-secreting adenomas in children may cause: Other more rare kinds of pituitary tumors cause other symptoms. It is important for anyone who is experiencing any unusual symptoms to see their doctor.