Astrocytoma Brain Cancer

Astrocytoma is the most common type of primary brain cancer, arising from the brain tissue itself. It is known as a glial tumor or a glioma because it arises from supporting cells in the brain, called glial cells. These tumors arise from the most abundant of the glial cells, called astrocytes.

Astrocytoma is a general name for tumors with astrocyte characteristics, but they vary somewhat from tumor to tumor. In particular, they vary in the grade of the tumor. The grade of the tumor is a measure of how aggressive or malignant the tumor is, as is explained on the Malignant Glioma page. This grading scale, determined by biopsy and pathological analysis of the tumor tissue, ranks each tumor from the benign end of the spectrum to the malignant end of the spectrum. Grades I and II are generally considered benign astrocytoma while Grades III and IV are considered malignant and are therefore brain cancers. They tend to be more aggressive, invasive and rapidly growing. Grade IV gliomas are also referred to as glioblastoma multiforme.

The symptoms of astrocytoma vary somewhat depending on the location and size of the tumor. They can generally cause the same types of symptoms that are seen with other forms of brain cancer. They can cause general, non-specific symptoms like headache, nausea and vomiting, as well as nervous system specific symptoms like seizures, hydrocephalus, weakness, numbness and visual disturbances, to name a few.

The diagnosis of astrocytoma is generally best initiated by an MRI of the brain which demonstrates an enhancing mass in the brain tissue itself. While the diagnosis may be suggested by this appearance on MRI, a final diagnosis cannot be given until a part of the tumor tissue has been sampled by biopsy and analyzed by a pathologist. The pathologist will issue a final diagnosis as well as a grade for the tumor.

The cause of most gliomas is not well understood. Generally, they are more common with older age and in males, but there are no strong risk factors that are known to be associated with these and other glial tumors.

Treatment depends on many factors, which vary from patient to patient and from tumor to tumor. Most importantly, the grade and size and location of the tumor impacts the treatment considerably. The general types of treatments used most commonly include surgery to remove part or all of the tumor, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Some combination of these treatments is often employed in any one patient.

Prognosis for patients with primary brain tumors is generally not great, particularly for the malignant cancers. Benign tumors have a better chance for successful treatment and longer term survival after diagnosis. Malignant tumors can have a very difficult course, causing significant disability for many patients and significantly shortening life expectancy. In particular, Grade IV tumors generally have a dismal prognosis, claiming the life of their victims almost invariably.