know your enemy:
this is a tough part to write because ependymomas - especially anaplastic ones - are bad news.
we started researching them and it got too depressing so we stopped.
i suggest that anyone wanting to understand about them should start at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ependymoma
if thats not enough then you might try www.cancer.gov or www.macmillan.org.uk or www.cancerbackup.org.uk
if thats not enough, well i cant help you because thats as far as we went - good luck.
choose your weapons:
a much better topic.
as i understand it, we've got three main choices:
conventional radiotherapy
not for us because of the potential risks to Fletch's developing brain, but good enough to get the job done for a lot of people - start at the usual sites, i also found this site quite helpful http://www.askbootshealth.com/a_to_z/breast_cancer2/how_does_radiotherapy_work
chemotherapy
i didnt know that much about chemo until i started reading up to write this. this article - http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/QAs/TreatmentsQAs/ChemotherapyQAs/General/related_faqs/QAs/564
was informative and brutally honest.
proton therapy
our best hope.
the best way that i can explain this is that whereas conventional radiotherapy blasts the area in and around the tumour, this is in comparison, a lazer beam. a more accurate strike means minimal colateral damage and the ability to hit the tumour with a higher dose than normal.
what else could we do? more information at http://www.proton-therapy.org/