Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 7/27/2010

Question
My husband was diagnosed with astrocytoma-Ependimoma in 1995 it was in his spinal cord (The size of a pea) could you tell me how slow of a growing tumor these types are? My husband was in the US Military we are trying to service connect his disability with the VA. My husband worked in communications and have found quite a bit of info on Ionizing Radiation and the equipment that he worked with on a daily basis and the condition that he worked under was in an old basement with no windows and 1 door vault. If you could give me an answer to the best of your knowledge it would greatly be appreciated.

Answer
How fast these tumors are growing depends largely on their grade. Without knowing the grade it is impossible to estimate the growth rate. Since he seems to be still around it must be quite slowly growing so its grade is probably quite low. More than that I can not tell you. How big is it now (if you can tell me that we have another way of estimating its growth rate)? The causes of these brain tumors are at present completely unknown so I can at present unfortunately neither confirm nor deny that his military work situation had anything to do with the causes of this tumor of his.





You can also reach me on: http://www.lifestylerescue.com/expert/health-fitness-advice/dr-claes-gustaf/128     There is no restriction to the number of questions there.