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| Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma |
Childhood cerebral astrocytoma is a type of brain tumor in which cancer (malignant) cells begin to grow in the tissues of the brain. The brain controls memory and learning, the senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch), and emotion. It also controls other parts of the body, including muscles, organs, and blood vessels. Other than leukemia or lymphoma, brain tumors are the most common type of cancer that occur in children.
Astrocytomas are tumors that start in brain cells called astrocytes. A cerebral astrocytoma occurs in the area of the brain called the cerebrum, which is at the top of the head.
This PDQ statement covers tumors that start in the brain (primary brain tumors). Often cancer found in the brain has started somewhere else in the body and has spread (metastasized) to the brain. This is called brain metastasis. A separate patient information statement containing information on brain cancer that occurs in adults is also available in PDQ.
Like most cancers, childhood cerebral astrocytoma is best treated when it is found (diagnosed) early. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, which uses magnetic waves to make a picture of your child's brain, may be done.
Often, surgery is required to see whether there is a brain tumor and to tell what type of tumor it is. The doctor may cut out a piece of tissue from the brain and look at it under a microscope. This is called a biopsy.
There are many types of brain tumors in children and the chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on the type of tumor, where it is located within the brain, and your child's age and general health.
Once childhood cerebral astrocytoma is found, more tests will be done to find out the type of tumor. If a biopsy specimen is taken, the cancer cells will be looked at carefully under a microscope to see how different they are from the normal cells. This will determine the histologic grade of the tumor. Your child's doctor needs to know the type and grade of tumor in order to plan treatment.
Brain tumors are grouped by their location within the brain and the type of cells where the cancer began. Cerebral tumors occur in the part of the brain located at the top of the head.
Low-grade tumors (tumors that look similar to normal astrocytes) do not usually grow quickly or spread from where they start.
High-grade tumors (tumors that do not look much like normal astrocytes) grow quickly and often spread from where they start to other parts of the brain.
Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may come back in the brain or in another part of the body.
There are treatments for all children with brain tumors. Three kinds of treatment are used:
Surgery is the most common treatment for a child with cerebral astrocytoma. Depending on where the cancer is and the type of cancer, your child's doctor may remove as much of the tumor as possible. If the tumor cannot be totally removed, radiation therapy and chemotherapy may also be given. If the cancer is in a place where it cannot be removed, surgery may be limited to a biopsy of the cancer.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy for childhood cerebral astrocytoma usually comes from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy). The use of radiation put into the brain through thin plastic tubes (internal radiation therapy) is under study. For some types of brain tumors, clinical trials are evaluating radiation therapy given in several small doses per day (hyperfractionated radiation therapy). Radiation therapy can affect growth and brain development, so clinical trials are testing ways to decrease or delay radiation therapy, especially for younger children.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy is being studied to delay the use of radiation therapy in some patients. Clinical trials are studying different chemotherapy drugs for cerebral astrocytoma.
Treatment for cerebral astrocytoma depends on the type and stage of the disease and your child's age and overall health.
Your child may receive treatment that is considered standard based on its effectiveness in a number of patients in past studies, or you may choose to have your child go into a clinical trial. Not all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical trials are designed to test new treatments and to find better ways to treat cancer patients. Clinical trials are going on in most parts of the country for cerebral astrocytoma. If you want more information, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
Treatment depends on whether all of the cancer can be removed during surgery.
If the cancer can be removed during surgery, there may be no more treatment. If there is cancer left after surgery, radiation therapy may be given following surgery, or the doctor may wait until the cancer has started to grow again before giving radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is being studied in treating some groups of children, including those younger than 5 years of age.
Your child's treatment will probably be surgery followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Clinical trials are evaluating surgery followed by chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. Children younger than 3 years of age may be given chemotherapy to delay radiation therapy or so a lower dose of radiation may be given.
Treatment for recurrent disease depends on the type of tumor, whether the tumor comes back in the same place or in another part of the brain, and the treatment that was given before.
Surgery and chemotherapy may be given. You may want to consider having your child enter a clinical trial of new chemotherapy drugs.
Surgery may be given. You should consider having your child enter a clinical trial of new chemotherapy drugs or new ways of giving therapy.
To learn more about childhood cerebral astrocytoma, call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615. By dialing this toll-free number, you can speak with someone who can answer your questions.
The Cancer Information Service can also send you booklets. The following booklet about brain tumors may be helpful to you:
The following booklets on childhood cancer may be helpful to you:
You can also write to the National Cancer Institute at this address:
Date Last Modified: 04/98
