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Brain Tumors/Astrocytoma Grade 3/4

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Expert: - 1/6/2008


Question
My father was diagnosed in august 2007 with the above brain tumor after showing signs of losing movement in his right leg and arm. His Neurologist said that surgery was not an option and he had 30 rounds of radiation in oct/nov. Over xmas he had two PE's on his lungs and a chest infection. he was released from hospital after two weeks. the day after he was released he took his first full body seizure. before that he was just taking shakes in his arm and legs. Is this a sign his tumor has grown? will he take these seizures more frequently the more it grows and do u possibly know on average how long his life expectancy is at this stage?

Answer
Yes he may get more epileptic fits from now on and it may be connected with tumor growth. But MRI scans will show what is happening there. Survival time/prognosis is difficult to asses because it depends on grade to a very large extent. At best a grade 3 case can live for a few years while a grade 4 case usually only lives for around one year. To grade correctly is also difficult but with this quick progress of symptoms a grade 4 seems probable to be the case in his case, but I may be wrong!

Brain Tumors

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Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D.

Expertise

I`m a doctor of medicine and specialist in radiation therapy and medical oncology. I have a long time experience of these tumours.

Experience

I'm a Doctor of Medicine and specialist in Medical Oncology and Radiation Therapy, educated and trained in Sweden. Now retired. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine. M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps. You can also reach me on: http://www.lifestylerescue.com/expert/health-fitness-advice/dr-claes-gustaf/128 . I have no restrictions on the number of questions there. I also answer questions about Oncology (General Cancer), General History, Military History, Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer.

Education/Credentials
Doctor of medicine, specialist in medical oncology & radiation therapy.

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