Astrocytoma surgery
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Astrocytoma Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Case Study |
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Astrocytoma surgery On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Astrocytoma surgery |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ammu Susheela, M.D. [2]
Overview
Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for specific type of astrocytoma such as glioblastoma multiforme. The feasibility of surgery depends on the stage of astrocytoma at diagnosis.
Surgery
- Surgery is used to diagnose and treat childhood astrocytoma.
- Surgery is needed for most primary brain tumors. Some tumors may be completely removed. In cases where the tumor cannot be removed, surgery may help reduce pressure and relieve symptoms.
- A NIH Consensus Conference report in 1999 recommends that any Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma that is growing or causing symptoms should be surgically removed. Tumors are also removed in cases where a patient is suffering from a high seizure burden. If a tumor is rapidly growing or causing symptoms of hydrocephalus, deferring surgery may lead to vision loss, need for ventricular shunt, and ultimately death. Total removal of the tumor is curative.
- Surgery to remove intraventricular tumors also carries risks of complications or death. Potential complications include transient memory impairment, hemiparesis, infection, chronic ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement, stroke, and death.
- Even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that remain. [1][2]
- An MRI is done after surgery to see if there is tumor remaining. If the tumor was completely removed by surgery, more treatment may not be needed and the child is closely watched to see if signs or symptoms appear or change. This is called observation.
- If there is tumor remaining after surgery, treatment may include the following:
- Observation
- A second surgery to remove the tumor
- Radiation therapy, which may include conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, or stereotactic radiation therapy, when the tumor begins to grow again
- Combination chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy
- A clinical trial of targeted therapy with selumetinib
References
- ↑ "Supependymal Giant Cell Tumor (SGCT) or Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma (SEGA)" (PDF). Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance. June 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ↑ Campen, Cynthia J.; Porter, Brenda E. (August 2011). "Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma (SEGA) Treatment Update". Current Treatment Options in Neurology. 13 (4): 380–5. doi:10.1007/s11940-011-0123-z. PMC 3130084. PMID 21465222.