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Brain Tumors/grade 2 astrocytoma

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Expert: - 2/9/2009


Question
My friends daughter is 19 yrs old. She found out she had a tumour about 6 months ago. She had a biopsy last week and she has now been given the news that she has a grade 2 astrocytoma. She has been told that she will need surgery to have this removed.  My question to you is what are her chances of survival? how long does she have?

Answer
Malignant brain tumors are graded 1 to 4 with increasing malignancy with increasing numbers so grade 4 is most malignant. Grades 1 & 2 are not very malignant while grades 3 & 4 are. So with increasing grades and therefore increasing malignancy the prognosis gets worse. There is however always a certain uncertainty with grade as it is extremely hard & difficult to grade a brain tumor correctly.  A grade 2 patient can with treatment (surgery & radiation therapy) live many years but the tumor has a great risk of eventually coming back and then the prognosis is generally bad. That is what I can tell you.

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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