Like most tumors in the brain,<unk>  can be treated through surgery and various forms of therapy. Many publications within the last decade have suggested a noticeable improvement in success rate of patients. With the advancement of cutting-edge technology and novel approaches in stem cells, patients are hopeful that they be happy and healthy through old age. The following factors influence an oncologist's specific treatment plan: # Patient's overall medical history # Localization and grade severity of the tumor # Age and tolerance to certain medications, procedures, and treatment # Predicted progress of recovery # Final anticipated outcome of treatment Gross-total resection Complete surgical removal, known as gross-total resection or craniotomy, remains the standard for treating<unk> , despite high recurrence rate for high-grade tumors. Since there are so few cases reported around the world each year, the standard for surgery varies from physician to physician and is often difficult to rightfully diagnose. Low-grade<unk> s exhibit low recurrence rates following resection, but varying reports prove that some patients, despite the severity of the lesion, will unpredictably witness recurrence. In a recent study of a 17-year-old male, a low-grade<unk>  was resected and recurred within 5 months of the therapy, forcing the oncologist to administer further chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and a second resection to completely put the tumor in remission. Radiotherapy Radiation therapy selectively kills<unk>  cells while leaving surrounding normal brain tissue unharmed. The use of radiation therapy after an<unk>  excision has variable results. Conventional external beam radiation has both positive and negative effects on patients, but it is not recommended at this point to treat all types. All in all, the radiosensitivity of<unk>  to therapy remains unclear, since some research advocate its effectiveness while others diminish the effects. Future studies must be done on patients with both total excision and sub-excision of the tumor to accurately assess whether radiation benefits patients under different circumstances. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is the preferred secondary treatment after resection. The treatment kills<unk>  cells left behind after surgery and induces a non-dividing, benign state for remaining tumor cells. Normally, chemotherapy is not recommended until the second required resection, implying that the<unk>  is a high-grade tumor continuing to recur every few months. A standard chemotherapy protocol starts with two rounds of nimustine hydrochoride (ACNU), etoposide, vincristine, and interferon-beta. The patient undergoes a strict drug regimen until another surgery is required. By the third surgery, should recurrence in the<unk>  occur, a six-round program of ifosfamide, cisplatin, and etoposide will "shock" the patient's system to the point where recurrence halts. Unfortunately, chemotherapy may not always be successful with patients requiring further resection of the tumor, since the tumor cell begins to show superior vasculature and a strong likelihood of compromising a patient's well-being. Oral ingestion of temozolomide for at-home bedside use may be preferred by the patient. Future advances A popular form of surgery involves CyberKnife radiotherapy and Gamma Knife radiosurgery. Their success-rate on cranial lesion is fairly effective, but recurrence is still a problem for severe patients. One of the more exciting and promising routes for treatment involves stem cell use to combat<unk> . A study in 2005 profiled cell surface markers of<unk>  cells removed from an 11-year-old patient. Fluorescence activation suggested that about 1/4 of these cells were CD133 positive CD24, CD34, and CD45 negative. This specific genetic makeup lends to self-renewal, differentiation, and propagation of neural stem cells in the brain. However, the work remains a preliminary insight into the role of neuronal stemlike cells on<unk>  development.
Astroblastoma
Neurothekeoma
Neuroma
Ameloblastoma
Sialoblastoma
Pilocytic astrocytoma
Central neurocytoma
Hemangioblastoma