The treatment for this condition typically consists of surgery. Surgical resection is the standard approach, which usually removes all of the tumor. In some cases, however, a second surgical resection is needed. Although surgery is often the most effective treatment option for childhood astrocytomas, it can be risky and not be able to completely remove the tumor. The risk of removing the tumour through surgery increases if the tumour has spread beyond the brain stem.
Early detection is vital to the success of treatment for astrocytomas. Many children with astrocytoma symptoms don’t show any symptoms for months before the diagnosis is made. The location of the tumor in the brain is also important in determining whether surgery is possible. For example, an optic chiasm-hypothalamus astrocytoma may make surgery difficult. Furthermore, some patients are not amenable to total resection.
Low-grade astrocytomas are the most common type of childhood astrocytomas. They are indolent in their clinical course and make up 20% of all pediatric brain tumors. WHO grade I astrocytomas are typically asymptomatic and do not progress beyond a limited number of cases. This type of astrocytoma can occur anywhere in the CNS, but are most often found in the optic nerve and the chiasmal region. Classic neuroradiologic imaging findings of low-grade astrocytomas include a contrast-enhancing nodule within a cystic mass.
Depending on the location of the astrocytoma, the treatment options for this cancer are different. In children, the prognosis depends on the grade of the tumor, its location, and how long it has been present. Often, it will depend on whether the astrocytoma recurred after the initial treatment. If it recurred, the treatment options will depend on the grade.
While most pediatric astrocytomas are low-grade, some of them can be found in other areas of the brain. Low-grade astrocytomas are rare and do not cause symptoms until they reach a large size. In some cases, they may not be detected until the tumour has spread to the surrounding brain tissue. While these tumors are benign, they can still affect the child’s vision. Fortunately, they are not harmful in terms of growth.
The treatment for astrocytomas in childhood is based on the type of astrocytoma. A surgeon can remove astrocytoma by cutting the tumour in half. Occasionally, the surgeon may not be able to completely remove the tumour during surgery. Sometimes, a child’s tumour is so large that total resection is not feasible. Regardless of the grade, surgery is the best treatment option for low-grade astrocytomas.
A child’s astrocytoma can occur anywhere in the CNS, but most high-grade astrocytomas tend to be located in the cerebrum. In rare cases, they may spread to other parts of the body via the subarachnoid space. If they grow to a high-grade astrocytoma, it can also spread to the spine, although the likelihood of metastatic spread outside of the CNS is minimal.
