Complete Information on Astrocytoma with Treatment and Prevention
This classification is important because, the appearance of an astrocytoma will often predict its behavior and, therefore, a patient’s prognosis.
Astrocytomas are the most common glioma, accounting for about half of all primary brain and spinal cord tumors. The remainder of astrocytomas are unclassified unique variants. Futhermore, some tumors may show histologic similarities to multiple glia, e.g. oligoastrocytomas. The existence of such tumors brings debate as to the proper origin of gliomas: possibly cancer stem cells, not the glia themselves. For patients with anaplastic astrocytomas, the growth rate and interval between onset of symptoms and diagnosis is intermediate between low-grade astrocytomas and glioblastomas. There are different types of astrocytomas, and these lesions are classified into several categories according to their appearance under a microscope.