Once childhood cerebral astrocytoma is found, more tests will be done to find out the type of tumor. If a biopsy specimen is taken, the cancer cells will be looked at carefully under a microscope to see how different they are from the normal cells. This will determine the histologic grade of the tumor. Your child's doctor needs to know the type and grade of tumor in order to plan treatment. Brain tumors are grouped by their location within the brain and the type of cells where the cancer began.
Cerebral tumors occur in the part of the brain located at the top of the head.
It may come back in the brain or in another part of the body. There are treatments for all children with brain tumors. Experienced doctors working together can often give the best treatment for children with cerebral astrocytoma. Your child's treatment will often be coordinated by a pediatric oncologist, a doctor who specializes in cancer in children. Surgery is the most common treatment for a child with cerebral astrocytoma.