Standard Treatment Oligodendrogliomas are treated in a similar manner to astrocytomas, with surgery and radiation the favored methods. They can also be successfully treated with a chemotherapy regimen consisting of procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine . Many of these tumors also have a component of an astrocytoma. It is standard practice to grade these mixed tumors by the component that predominates. Like the astrocytomas, the higher-grade oligodendrogliomas have a poor prognosis .
Brain Stem Glioma
This tumor is an astrocytoma that occurs in the brain stem. Brain stem gliomas can cause incapacitating neurological deficits. They have a very characteristic appearance on an MRI scan, and treatment is often performed without first obtaining a tissue diagnosis.
Standard Treatment These tumors are treated with radiation and sometimes chemotherapy. Surgery is rarely useful. The radiation is often given twice a day and in a higher dose than is used for other brain tumors.
Five-Year Survival 20 to 30 percent
Medulloblastoma
This tumor occurs more often in children than in adults. Most cases occur in those under 16 years of age.
