Astrocytoma – Childhood

Overview

Childhood astrocytoma is a type of central nervous system (CNS) tumor that forms when cells called astrocytes begin to grow uncontrollably and form a mass. Normal astrocytes provide the connecting network of the brain and spinal cord and form scar tissue when the CNS is damaged. Astrocytoma can occur throughout the CNS, including the following places:

• Cerebellum (the back part of the brain responsible for coordination and balance)
• Cerebrum (the top part of the brain that controls motor activities and talking)
• Diencephalon or central part of the brain (controls vision, hormone production, and arm and leg movement)
• Brainstem (controls eye and facial movements, arm and leg movement, and breathing)
• Spinal cord (controls sensation and arm and leg motor function)

Astrocytoma is classified as high grade (a measure of how much the tumor cells appear like normal cells) or low grade, depending on the number and shape of the tumor cells and how quickly they grow and spread. Low-grade tumors are less likely to grow quickly or spread to other parts of the body. Once a tumor is found in the CNS, the doctor will usually perform a biopsy to see if the tumor is an astrocytoma and to determine the grade of the tumor. A biopsy is the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope.

Statistics

About 7.4% of all brain tumors are astrocytoma, and about half of all childhood brain tumors are astrocytoma.
The five-year relative survival rate (the percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) for low-grade astrocytoma in children is more than 80%. For children with high-grade astrocytoma, the five-year relative survival rate is about 49%.

Children with noninfiltrating astrocytoma (a tumor that is unlikely to spread) generally have a higher five-year relative survival rate.
Cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of cases of this type of cancer, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with astrocytoma. Because the survival statistics are measured in five-year intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer.