Childhood Astrocytomas Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI]-General Information A
Childhood Astrocytomas Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI]-General Information About Childhood Astrocytomas
Childhood Astrocytomas Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI] Guide
The following tests and procedures may be used:
Childhood astrocytomas are usually diagnosed and removed in surgery.
If doctors think there may be an astrocytoma, a biopsy may be done to remove a sample of tissue. For tumors in the brain, a part of the skull is removed and a needle is used to remove tissue. Sometimes, the needle is guided by a computer. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. If cancer cells are found, the doctor may remove as much tumor as safely possible during the same surgery. Because it can be hard to tell the difference between types of brain tumors, you may want to have your child's tissue sample checked by a pathologist who has experience in diagnosing brain tumors.
Childhood Astrocytomas Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI] - General Information About Childhood Astrocytomas
Childhood Astrocytomas Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI] Guide
- General Information About Childhood Astrocytomas
- Stages of Childhood Astrocytomas
- Recurrent Childhood Astrocytomas
- Treatment Option Overview
- Treatment Options for Childhood Astrocytomas
- To Learn More About Childhood Astrocytomas
- Changes to This Summary (10 / 07 / 2014)
- About This PDQ Summary
- Get More Information From NCI
The following tests and procedures may be used:
- Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to check general signs of health. This includes checking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual. A history of the patient's health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.
- Neurological exam: A series of questions and tests to check the brain, spinal cord, and nerve function. The exam checks a person's mental status, coordination, and ability to walk normally, and how well the muscles, senses, and reflexes work. This may also be called a neuro exam or a neurologic exam.
- Visual field exam: An exam to check a person's field of vision (the total area in which objects can be seen). This test measures both central vision (how much a person can see when looking straight ahead) and peripheral vision (how much a person can see in all other directions while staring straight ahead). The eyes are tested one at a time. The eye not being tested is covered.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) with gadolinium: A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of the brain and spinal cord. A substance called gadolinium is injected into a vein. The gadolinium collects around the cancer cells so they show up brighter in the picture. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI). Sometimes magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is done during the same MRI scan to look at the chemical makeup of the brain tissue.
Childhood astrocytomas are usually diagnosed and removed in surgery.
If doctors think there may be an astrocytoma, a biopsy may be done to remove a sample of tissue. For tumors in the brain, a part of the skull is removed and a needle is used to remove tissue. Sometimes, the needle is guided by a computer. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. If cancer cells are found, the doctor may remove as much tumor as safely possible during the same surgery. Because it can be hard to tell the difference between types of brain tumors, you may want to have your child's tissue sample checked by a pathologist who has experience in diagnosing brain tumors.
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