Glioma Prognostic Panel - Test, Procedure & Cost

It is a brain tumor.It is a tumor that originates from glial cells, which surround and support nerve cells and help them to function.

Three types of glial cells produce tumors. Gliomas are classified based on the type of glial cells involved, which depict the behavior of cancer with time and also predict the treatment that is most likely to work.

Types of Glioma:

• Astrocytoma 
• Glioblastoma
• Oligodendroglioma
• Ependymoma

Astrocytoma: It is a kind of tumor which can occur in the brain or spinal cord. It originates from cells called astrocytes. Astrocytoma of the brain causes dizziness, headache, and nausea. In the spinal cord, it leads to disability and weakness of parts affected by the growing tumors.

Ependymoma: It is a tumor occuring in the brain and spinal cord. It starts forming in the ependymal cells of the brain and spinal cord. It can occur at any age but it occurs most commonly in young children. It causes headaches and seizures in children. It mainly occurs in the spinal cord in adults, which leads to weakness of the body part, which is controlled by nerves that are affected by the tumor.

Glioblastoma: It is a tumor occurring in the brain and spinal cord. It begins with astrocytes. Symptoms of glioblastoma are headaches, seizures, nausea, and vomiting.

Oligodendroglioma: it is a tumor occurring in the spinal cord and brain. It originates from oligodendrocytes-cells that produce a substance that protects nerve cells.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of glioma vary according to the tumor type and depend on the location, size, and growth rate of the tumor.

Symptoms of gliomas are:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Personality changes
• Balance difficulty
• Urinary incontinence
• Vision problems
• Difficulty in speech
• Seizures

Cause

The exact cause of gliomas is unknown, but some associated factors increase the risk of brain tumors.

Risk factors

Age-risk increases with increasing age. In adults, it commonly occurs between 44-65 years of age. Various gliomas arise in children and young adults, such as ependymomas and astrocytomas.

Irradiation-radiation exposure leads to an increased risk of brain tumors—radiations such as ionizing radiation used in cancer treatment.

Family history-gliomas rarely run in families. But a family history of gliomas multiplies the risk of developing glioma.