Steroids occur naturally within our bodies, but can also be made in the laboratory for medical purposes. One of their key functions is to reduce inflammation/swelling and ease associated symptoms, such as headaches. They are also used to protect the brain during surgery. In other words, steroids help to manage the symptoms of a brain tumour rather than treating the tumour itself.
It is highly likely that your child will be given steroids at some point during their treatment.
After diagnosis
When your child has a tumour in their brain, it is not only the tumour itself that causes some of the symptoms they may have, but also the swelling surrounding the tumour. This swelling puts pressure on surrounding tissues that can cause symptoms such as headaches, sickness and seizures (fits). To help reduce the swelling, your child's doctor may prescribe steroids. As steroids are fast-acting drugs this could mean that some of the effects caused by the tumour reduce quite quickly. This does not mean, however, that the size of tumour itself has been reduced.
Before or after treatment
If your child is having radiotherapy or surgery as part of their treatment, they may be given steroids to help bring down swelling caused by these treatments. Also, if your child is having chemotherapy, a low dosage of steroids may be given if they feel seek (have nausea).
There are different ways that steroids can be taken, including:
The most common way for children to take steroids is in tablet form. The tablets are small and should not be too difficult for your child to swallow. They could practice by swallowing tic tacs.
Generally, your child will only take steroids for a few days or weeks. You will be given instructions from your child's doctor about exactly when and for how long your child will need to take steroids.
If taking steroids for longer than a week, your child is likely to be given a steroid card. It has important information about the type of steroid and the dosage that may be needed in an emergency.
You may also wish to buy your child a medical alert bracelet.
It might help to leave yourself a note or set an alarm to remind you. Getting into a routine of when your child takes their steroids is also helpful. If your child does miss a dose, do NOT try to compensate by giving them a double dose next time. Speak to your child's doctor to see what they advise.
Everybody is different and your child is unlikely to have all these side-effects. You should talk to your child's doctor about any side-effects they do experience.
Remember do NOT stop giving your child their steroids without advice from your doctor.
Common side-effects of steroids include:
With longer term use of steroids (more than a few months), other side-effects include:
Children on steroids should not be given 'live' vaccines including the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) injection nor the BCG injection (which protects against tuberculosis). Speak to your child's doctor about this.
Children on steroids should not be given 'live' vaccines including the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) injection nor the BCG injection (which protects against tuberculosis). Speak to your child's doctor about this.
Our FREE Brain Tumour Information Pack has been designed to help you through this difficult time, to guide you through the healthcare system, answer your questions, and reassure you that you're not alone so that you feel confident when discussing treatment and care options with your medical team.
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