Craniopharyngioma
A rare brain tumour in children (5 to 10%), never diagnosed in children under 5, this benign but progressive tumour, is located in the central region of the base of the skull (pituitary gland).
This tumour progressively compresses neighbouring organs: the optic nerve and chiasm leading to a risk of partial or total blindness, the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus (or “floor of the fourth ventricle” leading to risks of hormonal disturbances and sensations of hunger and thirst, and finally the brain, leading to immediate risks of intracranial hypertension, and later on memory and behavioural disorders).
Treatment is mainly surgical, but radiotherapy is often used in addition.
The position of proton therapy
There is an interesting French and international experiment, with the aim of minimizing the dose received, at this intersection of critical organs (see above).
Schedule of irradiation
Daily sessions, spread over approximately 6 weeks.