Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 2/22/2008

Question
My sister was diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma in 1992, and was treated with radiation and gamma knife. She was fine until 1999, when it started growing exponentially (400% in 2 months). She underwent surgery to save her life but is now totally and permanently disabled. The tumor was in the front left lobe and affects her speech and memory. Since then she has been fine and is in excellent health.

Here's the question. She keeps saying that she will be dying soon and wants to take her 401K savings out and travel while she still can. Her husband, children, and her three sisters (including me) all think this is rash (she's 53 and may still live into retirement we think). Are there any studies on the life expectancy of people with her history?

Answer
Her tumor was a grade 2 in 1992. If it grew that quickly in 1999 it MAY have changed to a higher grade tumor though the fact that she has lived until now seems to contradict that.  ONLY her neurosurgeon who operated her and presumably sent the surgical material to a pathologist for study can tell us the truth about this. Since she has lived until now from 1999 she MAY live until old age but of course I can not guarantee that. With malignant brain tumors involved survival is always uncertain! On the other hand she is of course free to do whatever she wants with her own money. That is unfortunately all I can tell you!