In: Anatomy and Physiology
Are all gliomas malignant? Explain your answer.
A type of tumour that occurs in the brain and spinal cord.
Gliomas can occur in the brain and in various locations in the nervous system, including the brain stem and spinal column.
Glioma is a type of brain cancer that is often – but not always – malignant. In some cases, the tumor cells do not actively reproduce and invade nearby tissues, which makes them noncancerous. However, in most cases, gliomas are cancerous and likely to spread.
Gliomas are classified according to the type of glial cell involved in the tumor, as well as the tumor's genetic features, which can help predict how the tumor will behave over time and the treatments most likely to work.
Types of glioma include:
1.Astrocytomas, including astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma
2.Ependymomas, including anaplastic ependymoma, myxopapillary ependymoma and subependymoma
3.Oligodendrogliomas, including oligodendroglioma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma and anaplastic oligoastrocytoma
malignant gliomas still are dangerous tumors and most patients will not survive them beyond a few years. Benign gliomas slowly grow, producing disabilities, and eventually are also fatal.