Identifying brain tumours in children and young adults.

Healthcare professionals caring for children need to promptly identify the child or young person with a serious underlying condition from themajority who present with minor self limiting illness. Recognising when a child might have cancer can be particularly difficult. Despite the perception that cancer is rare in children, an average general practice will see a child or young person with a new cancer every six years, and a quarter of the tumours will be brain tumours (personal communication, Patricia O’Hare, 2013). Early diagnosis can be crucial—evidence from cohort studies shows that it can improve short term and long term outcomes. This review summarises current evidence on the presentation and recognition of brain tumours in children and young adults and provides an overview of the treatment and long term care strategies for this population. What brain tumours occur in children?