After Treatment

After treatment for ependymoma ends, talk with your child’s doctor about developing a follow-up care plan. This plan may include regular physical examinations and /or medical tests to monitor your child’s recovery for the coming months and years. All children treated for tumors, including ependymoma, should have life-long, follow-up care.

Specific after-treatment recommendations are determined on a case-by-case basis because there are many factors that can affect the outcome of treatment for ependymoma, such as tumor location, whether the tumor could be removed during surgery, the need for and type of postoperative therapy, and age at the time of treatment.

The needs of a child treated for an ependymoma should be closely monitored on an ongoing basis by the health care team. Some children may require a combination of physical therapy and occupational therapy (for nervous system side effects resulting from the tumor or its treatment), speech therapy, hearing assistance, and cognitive (thought-process) therapy; learn more about rehabilitation. Some children may need a tracheostomy (a surgical opening in the windpipe to help them breathe) and/or gastrostomy (a surgical opening into the stomach to enable a feeding tube to be inserted) after surgery, and others may develop hormonal impairments or cognitive problems, or may experience new problems if the tumor recurs.

MRI scans are routinely used to monitor for signs of tumor recurrence or growth. Because most tumors that recur do so during the first several years after diagnosis, scans are performed most frequently during the first two to three years after treatment, and less frequently thereafter. However, because a tumor can recur many years after initial treatment, long-term follow-up care of all children treated for ependymoma is extremely important.

Based on the type of treatment the child received, the doctor will determine what examination and tests are needed to check for long-term side effects and the possibility of secondary cancers. Your child’s doctor can recommend the necessary screening tests. Follow-up care should also address the child’s quality of life, including any developmental or emotional concerns. Learn more about childhood cancer survivorship.

The child’s family is encouraged to organize and keep a record of the child’s medical information, so that as the child enters adulthood, he or she has a clear, written history of the diagnosis and details of the treatment given. The doctor’s office can help you compile this, and it should include recommendations from the doctor about the schedule for follow-up care. This information will be valuable to doctors who care for your child during his or her lifetime.

Find out more about common terms used after cancer treatment is complete.