Childhood Midline Tract Carcinoma with NUT Gene Changes Treatment

Childhood midline tract carcinoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the respiratory tract or other places along the middle of the body.
Midline tract carcinoma is sometimes caused by a change in the NUT gene.
The signs and symptoms of midline tract carcinoma are not the same in every child.
Tests that examine the body are used to help detect (find) and diagnose midline tract carcinoma.
Midline tract carcinoma grows and spreads quickly.

Childhood midline tract carcinoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the respiratory tract or other places along the middle of the body.

The respiratory tract is made up of the nose, throat, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. Midline tract carcinoma may also form in other places along the middle of the body, such as the thymus, the area between the lungs, the pancreas, liver, and bladder.

Stages of Childhood Midline Tract Carcinoma

The process used to find out if cancer has spread from where it first began to nearby areas or to other parts of the body is called staging. There is no standard system for staging childhood midline tract carcinoma. The results of the tests and procedures done to diagnose midline tract carcinoma are used to help make decisions about treatment.

Childhood midline tract carcinoma may spread to the lymph nodes, the lining around the lung, bone marrow, or bone.

There are different types of treatment for children with midline tract carcinoma.

Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment.

Because cancer in children is rare, taking part in a clinical trial should be considered. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.

Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Childhood Midline Tract Carcinoma

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

There is no standard treatment for newly diagnosed midline tract cancer with NUT gene changes. Treatment may include the following:

Surgery to remove the tumor.
External radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy.
A clinical trial of a new targeted therapy drug.

What is Cancer?

Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the risk of getting cancer. This can include maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding exposure to known cancer-causing substances, and taking medicines or vaccines that can prevent cancer from developing.
Cancer can cause many different symptoms. Most often these symptoms are not caused by cancer, but by benign tumors or other problems. If you have symptoms that last for a couple of weeks, your doctor will do a physical exam and order tests or other procedures to find out what is causing your symptoms.