Astrocytoma (patient information)
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Astrocytoma |
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Editor-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Jinhui Wu, M.D.
Overview
Astrocytoma is a type of glioma that origins from astrocytes which support and nourish the neurons and help repair the damage when the brain is injured. Astrocytoma occupies 30% of brain tumors. People with family history and radiation exposure are more prone to astrocytoma. Astrocytoma can cause various neurological symptoms such as headache, nausea and vomiting, seizure, hydrocephalus, weakness, or numbness in the extremities, blurred vision, balance problems, personality or behavior changes, seizures, drowsiness or even coma and patients are advised to seek urgent medical care for these symptoms. Imaging studies are the best diagnostic modality and chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are used to treat the disease. The prognosis depends on the staging of the disease.
What are the symptoms of astrocytoma?
Usual symptoms include headache, nausea and vomiting, seizure, hydrocephalus, weakness, or numbness in the extremities, blurred vision balance problems, personality or behavior changes, seizures, drowsiness or even coma.
What causes astrocytoma?
Radiation causing genetic mutation is suspected to be the cause of astrocytoma.
Who is at highest risk?
People with radiation exposure, family history of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), tuberous sclerosis, Von Hippel-Lindau disease, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, gorlin syndrome, turcot syndrome and cowden syndrome.
Diagnosis
Along with a thorough history and physical examination, imaging studies such as head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scan, positron emission tomography (PET) scan, chest x-ray and angiogram are used for the diagnosis of astrocytoma. Blood and urine tests, lumbar puncture (spinal tap), surgical or open biopsy (craniotomy) are also conducted.
When to seek urgent medical care?
- Call a health care provider if a child develops headaches that do not go away or other symptoms of a brain tumor.
- Go to the emergency room if a child develops any of the following:
- Physical weakness
- Change in behavior
- Vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Severe headache of unknown cause
- Seizure of unknown cause
- Vision changes
- Speech changes
Treatment options
Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, gene therapy, or a combination of them. Because most astrocytomas can spread widely throughout the normal brain tissue, it may be very hard to remove by surgery. If you have completed treatment, your doctors will still want to watch you closely. It’s very important to keep all follow-up appointments. During these visits, your doctors will ask about symptoms, examine you, and may order lab tests or imaging tests such as MRI scans to look for a recurrence of the tumor. In some cases, some of the tumor may still be left behind after treatment. Once you have recovered from treatment, your doctors will try to determine if damage was done to the brain or other areas. Several types of doctors and other health professionals might help you recover from the after effects of the disease.
Where to find medical care for astrocytoma?
Directions to Hospitals Treating astrocytoma
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
- The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following:
- Where the astrocytoma formed in the CNS and if it has spread.
- Whether cancer cells remain after surgery.
- The type and grade of astrocytoma.
- Whether the child has NF1.
- Whether there are certain changes in the genes.
- The child’s age.
- Whether the astrocytoma has just been diagnosed or has recurred (come back).
- For recurrent astrocytoma, prognosis and treatment depend on how much time passed from the time treatment ended to the time the astrocytoma recurred.