Childhood Brain & Spinal Cord Tumors: A Guide for Families, Friends & Caregivers

Tania Shiminski-Maher · Patsy Cullen · Maria Sansalone

nov 2001 · Childhood Cancer Guides

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Childhood Brain & Spinal Cord Tumors includes detailed and medically reviewed information about both benign and malignant brain and spinal cord tumors that strike children and adolescents. In addition, it offers day-to-day practical advice on how to cope with procedures, hospitalization, family and friends, school, social and financial issues, and communication. Woven among the medical details and the practical advice are the voices of parents and children who have lived with cancer and its treatments. As many parents have already found, advice from "veteran" parents can be a lifeline. Woven among the medical details and the practical advice are the voices of parents and children who have lived with cancer and its treatments. As many parents know, advice from "veteran" parents can be a lifeline. Obtaining a basic understanding of topics such as medical terminology, how drugs work, common side effects of chemotherapy, and how to work more effectively with medical personnel improves the quality of life for the whole family. Having parents describe their own emotional ups and downs, how they coped, and how they molded their family life around hospitalizations can be a tremendous comfort. Just knowing that there are other kids on chemotherapy who refuse to eat anything but tacos or who have frequent rages can make one feel less alone. Parents who read this book will find understandable medical infomation, obtain advice that eases their daily life, and feel empowered to be strong advocates for their child. It also contains a personal treatment summary and long-term follow-up guide for your child to keep as a permanent record.

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Tania Shiminski-Maher received her BSN and MS in pediatric primary care from Columbia University and holds an academic appointment to the faculty of Columbia University School of Nursing. She is certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner, clinical neuroscience registered nurse, and pediatric oncology nurse. For the past 30 years, she has worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in pediatric neurosurgery and pediatric neuro-oncology and has published extensively in the areas of pediatric brain tumors, hydrocephalus, and multidisciplinary team communication. She has been a member of the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) and Children's Oncology Group (COG)-- consortiums of researchers from more than 300 institutions that treat children with cancer--for the past 25 years. Patsy Cullen received her BSN in nursing from the University of California, her MS from the University of Kansas, and her pediatric nurse practitioner training from the University of Colorado. She has worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner for more than 20 years and is currently a member of the staff of Childhood Hematology-Oncology Associates and the Rocky Mountain Children's Cancer Center in Denver, Colorado. She has published extensively in the areas of general pediatric oncology, radiation oncology, and neuro-oncology. She has been a member of the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) for 20 years, has served on the Nursing Discipline committee as Vice-Chair, and now chairs the clinical trials subcommittee. She has held nursing appointments on many national pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumor trials and is currently on the CNS Tumor Steering Committee for the CCG. Maria Sansalone has a BA in English from American International College and an Associate's in Science degree. She has worked in the past in hospital settings in the area of health information management, and for the last 10 years as a cross reference editor for Merriam-Webster, Inc., a dictionary and reference publisher. Her son's diagnosis of an option glioma was a shocking and shattering experience but listening to other families' experiences helped her to find a balance.