A diagnosis of astrocytoma, a type of brain tumor, can mean many things depending on the specific characteristics of the individual tumor. Astrocytomas can range from benign grade 1 tumors to highly aggressive grade 4 cancer. They may be found in many different locations in the brain. After diagnosing the astrocytoma and determining the specific grade and location of the tumor, the physician will work with the patient to develop an appropriate course of treatment.
Description
Astrocytomas are a type of brain tumor derived from astrocytes, a type of glial cell in the brain. They belong to a category of tumors called gliomas, tumors of glial cell origins. In a diagnosis of astrocytoma, the patient may be told that he has glial cancer, a glioma, an astrocytoma or a specific type of astrocytoma, depending on how the doctor decides to classify the particular tumor. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, about 60 percent of all brain tumors are astrocytomas.
Identification
A patient suspected of having an astrocytoma will first be subjected to a battery of neurological tests. Imaging technology such as an MRI, PET or CT scan may be used to find the precise location and size of a suspected brain tumor. Diagnosis of the specific type of astrocytoma will be made using a biopsy, a sampling of the suspicious tissue that has been removed via surgery or through a long needle inserted into the brain.
Types
Astrocytomas can be divided into four types, called grades, depending on the degree of malignancy. Grade 1 astrocytoma, the least serious of the astrocyte grades, is called pilocytic astrocytoma and is often found in children who develop brain cancer. Diffuse astrocytoma, or low-grade astrocytoma, is the grade 2 version of this disease and often occurs in people between the ages of 20 to 30. Grade 3 astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, tends to be more common in men and is primarily found in individuals between 30 to 60 years old. Glioblastoma multiforme is the most serious form of astrocytoma and is primarily found in older individuals between the ages of 50 to 80, especially men between those ages.
Location
Any of the different grades of astrocytomas can be found in different areas of the brain and a diagnosis of astrocytoma will likely include a description of where the particular tumor is located. A brain cell astrocytoma develops in the lowest portion of the brain, which connects to the upper end of the spinal cord. An astrocytoma in the cerebellum is called a cerebellar astrocytoma. An optic astrocytoma occurs in the eye or optic nerve and can be further divided into types such as pilocytic astrocytoma and fibrillary astrocytoma.
Treatment
After an astrocytoma diagnosis, the doctor will discuss a treatment regimen with the patient. The specifics will depend on the grade and location of the particular cancer as well as the patient's general health and any other medical conditions that may be present. According to Massachusets General Hospital, typical treatment for astrocytoma incudes radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. For patients with anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma multiforme, the most serious and fast-growing types, treatment usually begins within 2 to 4 weeks of tumor diagnosis.
