Astrocytoma

Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnose astrocytoma include:

• Neurological exam. During a neurological exam, a member of your healthcare team will ask about your symptoms. Your vision, hearing, balance, coordination, strength and reflexes will be checked. Problems in one or more of these areas may help show the part of your brain affected by a brain tumor.

• Imaging tests. Imaging tests can help figure out the location and size of the brain tumor. MRI is often used to diagnose brain tumors. It may be used along with specialized MRI imaging, such as functional MRI, perfusion MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

  Other imaging tests may include CT and positron emission tomography scans, also called PET scans.

• Removing a sample of tissue for testing. A biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of tissue from the tumor for testing. Often the sample is taken during surgery to remove the astrocytoma. If the astrocytoma is in a spot that's hard to reach with surgical tools, a needle might be used to get the sample. Which method is used depends on your situation. The tissue goes to a laboratory for review. Tests can determine the types of cells and how quickly they grow.

  Special tests can show detailed information about the tumor cells. Tests might look for changes in the genetic material of the tumor cells, called DNA. The results tell your healthcare team about your prognosis. Your team uses this information to create a treatment plan.

Treatment

Astrocytoma treatments include:

• Surgery to remove the astrocytoma. A brain surgeon, also called a neurosurgeon, works to remove as much of the astrocytoma as possible. The goal is to remove all of the tumor. Sometimes the tumor is in a spot that is hard to reach. It may be too risky to remove it all. Even so, removing some of the astrocytoma may lessen your symptoms.

  For some people, surgery may be the only treatment needed. For others, more treatments may be recommended to kill any remaining tumor cells and lower the risk of the tumor coming back.

• Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams to kill tumor cells. The energy can come from X-rays, protons and other sources. During radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a machine moves around you. The machine sends beams to exact points in your brain. The treatment only takes a few minutes.

  Radiation therapy might be used after surgery. It can be used if the cancer wasn't removed completely or if there's a higher risk the cancer will return. Radiation may be used with chemotherapy for cancers that grow quickly. For people who can't have surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be used as the main treatment.

• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses strong medicines to kill tumor cells. Chemotherapy medicines can be taken in pill form or injected into a vein. Sometimes, a circular wafer of chemotherapy medicine can be put in your brain after surgery. There, it slowly dissolves and releases the medicine.

  Chemotherapy is often used after surgery to kill any tumor cells that might remain. It can be used with radiation therapy for tumors that grow quickly.

• Clinical trials. Clinical trials are studies of new treatments. These studies offer a chance to try the latest treatment options. The risk of side effects may not be known. Ask a member of your healthcare team whether you can participate in a clinical trial.
• Supportive care. Supportive care, also called palliative care, focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care specialists work with you, your family and your other healthcare team members to provide extra support. Palliative care can be used at the same time as other treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Often, palliative care begins as you start your astrocytoma treatments. You may not need to wait for complications to happen in order to receive palliative care.

Clinical trials

Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.

Preparing for your appointment

Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional if you have any symptoms that worry you. If your health professional thinks that you might have astrocytoma, you'll likely be referred to a specialist. This specialist might be a cancer doctor, called an oncologist. You also may see a surgeon who specializes in operating on the brain, called a neurosurgeon.

Appointments can be short and being prepared can help. Here's some information that may help you get ready.

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as fasting before having a specific test. Make a list of:

• Your symptoms, including any that seem unrelated to the reason for your appointment.
• Key personal information, including major stresses, recent life changes and family medical history.
• All medications, vitamins or other supplements you take, including the doses.
• Questions to ask your doctor.

Take a family member or friend along, if possible, to help you remember the information you're given.

For astrocytoma, some basic questions to ask your healthcare professional include:

• Do I have cancer?
• If the tumor isn't cancerous, do I still need to have it removed?
• Do I need more tests?
• What are my treatment options?
• What are the potential risks for these treatment options?
• Do any of the treatments cure my cancer?
• Can I have a copy of my pathology report?
• How much time can I take to consider my treatment options?
• Are there brochures or other printed materials that I can take with me? What websites do recommend?
• What would happen if I choose not to have treatment?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you several questions, such as:

• When did your symptoms begin?
• Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
• How severe are your symptoms?
• What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
• What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?

Living with astrocytoma?

Connect with others like you for support and answers to your questions in the Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Cancer support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a patient community.

Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Discussions

See more discussions