Intracranial astrocytoma: pathology, diagnosis and clinical presentation

Approximately 15,000 deaths a year occur in the United States from brain tumors. Astrocytomas, the most common primary tumor of the central nervous system, develop from astrocytes, the neuroglial support cell. Normal astrocytes can undergo anaplasia for unknown reasons and form brain tumors. Astrocytomas are graded from I to IV. As normal brain tissue is displaced by tumor cells, varying signs and symptoms develop, depending on tumor site and size. The goal of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of these treatments is to decrease tumor size and improve quality of life and survival time. This article addresses astrocyte cell development, classification of astrocytomas, theories of tumor development, signs and symptoms of astrocytoma, diagnosis and treatment of the astrocytoma. The role of the nurse is explored and two case histories are presented.