Diffuse astrocytoma - symptoms and treatment

They can appear in any part of the brain, but are especially common in the temporal or frontal lobe. The disease belongs to the second degree of malignancy, which means it is considered borderline. The complexity of this disease is that the tumor can remain in the human body for up to 10 years, it will grow, but you will not feel any neurological signs.

Causes

The following can be distinguished:

• physical or chemical exposure (contact with mercury);
• severe head injuries;
• hormonal disorder;
• DNA damage.

And this is not a complete list of reasons why you may have this problem.

Symptoms

To make a diagnosis, your doctor will need to look for signs. The most common in the case of the disease in question are seizures. Patients usually have a previous neurological diagnosis. headache may occur . The reason for this is irritation of the nerve endings. There are psychological deviations of various kinds.

How does the treatment work?

Today, complex treatment is actively practiced, which includes surgical removal of the tumor. Subsequently, chemotherapy and radiation are carried out. The complexity of the operation lies in the fact that it is necessary to remove the infected parts of the brain and not touch healthy areas. To gain free access to the skull, craniotomy should be performed.

But not every patient can endure the operation. The attending physician must prescribe a number of studies. It is necessary to calculate the places where the astrocytoma is located and what its size is. You need to look at the patient’s age and state of health. Often it is not possible to completely remove the tumor. That is why a certain part is resected, and the rest is irradiated.