Management of pediatric brain tumors in low- and middle-income countries

Five-year survival rates exceed 70 % for the 10-20 % children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors in high-income countries (HICs) but are less than 30 % for the 80 % children in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). The management of CNS tumors is complex and multidisciplinary. It requires a minimum of infrastructure and interactive collaboration between the different actors involved in the care of these patients. This chapter addresses the main challenges associated with the management of pediatric CNS tumors in LMIC, and describes examples of successful development, particularly in the context of twinning programs between institutions in HIC and institutions in LMIC.