A new study carried out by scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, has found there are actually 10 different types of incurable childhood brain tumours and that they should be identified and treated individually based on their specific genetic make-up.

The findings, published in Cancer Cell, show evident distinctions among Paediatric High-Grade and Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas and discuss how they could be divided into at least 10 separate cancers.

The study has significant implications for therapy options, since personalising treatments for each brain tumour type is likely to be much more effective. This should lead to more precise diagnostic tests to ensure each child patient receives the best form of treatment.

Another important conclusion of the study is that some tumours ought to be far more treatable and consequently could be targeted by existing drugs. These results show the benefits of testing paediatric tumours for genetic mutations at the point of diagnosis.