This World Health Organization grade II astrocytic tumor is less often curable than pilocytic astrocytoma. (Refer to the Diffuse astrocytoma section in the Classification section of this summary for more information.)

STANDARD TREATMENT OPTIONS:

• Surgery plus radiation therapy; however, some controversy exists. Some physicians treat these patients with surgery alone if the patient is younger than 35 years and if the tumor does not contrast-enhance on a computed tomographic scan.[1,2]

TREATMENT OPTIONS UNDER CLINICAL EVALUATION:

• Clinical trials are evaluating the effect of adding drugs to local therapy, e.g., radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy for incompletely resected diffuse astrocytomas. Other trials are evaluating the effect of deferring radiation therapy until the time of tumor progression and the effect of high-dose versus low-dose radiation therapy. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

References:

1. Shaw EG, Daumas-Duport C, Scheithauer BW, et al.: Radiation therapy in the management of low-grade supratentorial astrocytomas. J Neurosurg 70 (6): 853-61, 1989.
2. Kaye AH, Walker DG: Low grade astrocytomas: controversies in management. J Clin Neurosci 7 (6): 475-83, 2000.