How is glioma graded?

Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 02, 2024
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According to the characteristics of pathology, gliomas are divided into grades one to four. Grade one is a low-grade malignancy, more benign tumor, accounting for about 5%, with a relatively high probability of successful surgical outcomes. Grade two accounts for about 35%, and after comprehensive treatment including surgery, the survival rate can reach five to ten years, or even longer. Grade three usually develops from grade two, with relatively poor prognosis, and the average survival period is about two years. Grade four, the most malignant glioma, also known as glioblastoma, accounts for about 30%-40%, with an average survival period of less than one year, and very poor outcomes.

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Causes of Glioma

Currently, there is no consensus on the specific causes of brain gliomas. Most scholars believe they result from a combination of congenital genetic factors and acquired factors. In the case of congenital factors, by tracing the medical history of patients with gliomas, it can be found that there is a tendency for a higher concentration of glioma cases among family members. Acquired factors are mostly seen in severe cranial trauma, extensive gliocyte proliferation, or due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, exposure to carcinogenic chemicals, or long-term damage from highly polluted radiation, which may easily trigger the development of gliomas.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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Can gliomas be inherited?

Gliomas have a certain hereditary proportion, but this is not an absolute concept. In clinical practice, there is no clear explanation for the pathogenic factors of gliomas, and theories are generally speculative. For instance, one factor is genetic nature, and there is also some familial clustering which supports the idea of a genetic predisposition. However, it is usually easier to identify purely genetic diseases, but gliomas often involve the inheritance of multiple genes, making it difficult to pinpoint the fundamental factors directly. Additionally, other factors include exposure to radiation and engaging in harmful work, such as producing methanol or solvents, etc. These can also cause genetic mutations leading to gliomas, so the issue is not necessarily solely genetic.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Is glioma malignant?

Glioblastoma is a type of malignant tumor, which generally grows at a fast pace. In the early stages of the disease, the glioma often adheres to the surrounding tissues, posing significant challenges for future complete surgical removal. At the same time, extensive cerebral edema occurs around the glioma. If prolonged, this can lead to a serious increase in intracranial pressure, manifesting as repeated headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting in the patient. Over time, this condition may also lead to optic nerve atrophy, resulting in decreased vision and visual field defects. Diagnosis generally benefits from cranial CT or MRI scans, but definitive diagnosis still requires surgical removal of the tumor. A small amount of tumor tissue is typically retained for pathological biopsy.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Treatment of brain glioma

For patients with brain gliomas, it is recommended that they visit a local hospital as soon as possible in the early stages of the disease. A physician with extensive surgical experience should help assess the current situation through cranial CT, cranial MRI, and enhanced cranial MRI scans, to determine the location, scope, and range of edema of the glioma, as well as its proximity to surrounding blood vessels and nerves, and to establish a personalized surgical treatment plan. Through surgery, the glioma in the brain should be removed as completely as possible. After surgical treatment, most patients can achieve satisfactory outcomes. However, since gliomas are malignant tumors, it is necessary to follow up surgery with early radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

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Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
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Glioma Causes

Gliomas are common intracranial primary tumors, with astrocytoma being the most prevalent, followed by oligodendroglioma, medulloblastoma, glioblastoma, ependymoma, etc. The causes of gliomas are very complex and are still unclear to this day. The prevailing view is that the development of gliomas results from the combined effects of internal carcinogenic genes and external carcinogenic factors. Changes in carcinogenic genes include gene mutation deletions, proto-oncogene activation, and so on. External factors mainly include radiation from X-rays, smoking, drinking, and some toxic and harmful foods and medications, etc.