Oligodendrogliomas are a common type of glioma, which develop from the glial (or supportive) cellsthe basic structural and functional unit of all living things in the central nervous system (CNS). More specifically, they develop from a type of glial cell called oligodendrocytes, which produce a fatty, white substance known as myelin. Myelin is a protective sheath for nerves, and assists with the quick and efficient transmission of electrical impulses (or signals) in the body. Oligodendrogliomas can develop in any area of the CNS, but are most commonly found in the frontal and temporal lobes of the cerebrum.
The brain is a complex organ that is responsible for controlling all functions of the body. It has five main portions: the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus. The cerebrum is the biggest part of the brain, and consists of the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. This part of the brain is responsible for voluntary movement, intelligence, and memory. The cerebellum is a small part of the brain located at the back of the head, and regulates posture and balance. The brainstem is a small, stalk-like structure towards the bottom of the brain that connects the brain to the spinal cord. It regulates many vital bodily processes, such as swallowing, breathing, and heart rate. The pituitary gland is a pea sized organ located behind the eyes, and is responsible for the production and secretion of hormones in the body. The hypothalamus is located deep within the brain, and has many important functions, such as producing and secreting different hormones, regulating temperature, and controlling appetite.
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure that extends down from the brainstem to the lower back. It is made of nerve tissuea group of cells that work together to perform a function, and is surrounded by the bones of the spine (vertebrae). The spinal cord is responsible for transmitting nerve signals from the brain to the body, and vice versa. It has motor functions (such as voluntary movement), sensory functions (such as pressure, touch, temperature, and pain), and autonomous functions (such as regulating digestion, heart rate, and bloodthe red bodily fluid that transports oxygen and other nutrients around the body pressure).
Oligodendrogliomas are more common in males, and are generally diagnosed in people between the ages of 20-40. However, anyone can develop this disease.
Treatment
When cancers are detected, they are staged and graded based on size, metastasiswhen the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, also known as mets, and how the cancera disease where abnormal cells split without control and spread to other nearby body tissue and/or organs cells look under the microscope. Stagingthe process of determining how big the cancer is, where it started and if it has spread to other areas and grading helps your doctors determine the best treatment for you. However, brain cancers are rarely staged, as they rarely spread to other parts of the body. Instead, they are generally only graded.
The grades of oligodendrogliomas include:
- Gradea description of how abnormal cancer cells and tissue look under a microscope when compared to healthy cells II (low grade) tumours: cancer cells present as slightly abnormal and are usually slow growing.
- Grade III (high grade) tumours: cancer cells present as very abnormal and often develop quickly. Grade III oligodendrogliomas are also known as anaplastica term used to describe abnormal cancer cells that grow uncontrollably in the body and have little or no resemblence to regular cells oligodendrogliomas.
Once your tumoura tissue mass that forms from groups of unhealthy cells has been graded, your doctor may recommend genetic testinga procedure that analyses DNA to identify changes in genes, chromosomes and proteins, which can be used to analyse tumour DNA to help determine which treatment has the greatest chance of success, which analyses your tumour DNA and can help determine which treatment has the greatest chance of success. They will then discuss the most appropriate treatment option for you.
Treatment is dependent on several factors, including location, age, stage of disease and overall health.
Treatment options for oligodendrogliomas may include:
- Surgerytreatment involving removal of cancerous tissue and/or tumours and a margin of healthy tissue around it to reduce recurrence to remove as much as the tumour as possible.
- Watch and waitthe close monitoring of a cancer without giving treatment until symptoms appear or worsen (only for low-grade tumours).
- Radiation therapya treatment that uses controlled doses of radiation to damage or kill cancer cells.
- Chemotherapya cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells, while minimising damage to healthy cells.
- Clinical trialsresearch studies performed to test new treatments, tests or procedures and evaluate their effectiveness on various diseases.
- Palliative carea variety of practices and exercises used to provide pain relief and improve quality of life without curing the disease.
Some of the information regarding treatment was obtained from the Oligodendroglioma and Other IDH-Mutated Tumors: Diagnosis and Treatment page published by the National Cancer Institute.
Risk factors
Although it is a relatively common type of brain tumour, it is not clear what the riskthe possibility that something bad will happen factors for oligodendrogliomas are. However, previous exposure to radiation and certain genetic mutations that can be inherited has been linked to this disease.
Symptoms
The symptoms of an oligodendroglioma often depend on the grade of the tumour, as well as its location within the brain. Low-grade oligodendrogliomas may appear asymptomatic in early stages, causing a delay in diagnosisthe process of identifying a disease based on signs and symptoms, patient history and medical test results. As the tumour progresses, some of the following symptoms may appear:
- Seizures.
- Persistent headaches.
- Difficulties with concentration, thinking and/or learning.
- Changes regarding problem-solving and/or decision making.
- Personality changes.
- Persistent weakness and/or numbness, most commonly in the arms or legs.
- Difficulties with balance and/or movement.
Not everyone with the symptoms above will have cancer, but see your general practitioner (GP) if you are concerned.
Diagnosis
If your doctor suspects you have an oligodendroglioma, they may order the following tests to confirm the diagnosis and refer you to a specialist for treatment:
- Physical examinationan examination of your current symptoms, affected area(s) and overall medical history.
- Neurological examinationan assessment of sensory and motor functions, such as vision, balance and coordination.
- Imagingtests that create detailed images of areas inside the body tests, most commonly a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)a type of medical imaging that uses radiowaves, a strong magnet and computer technology to create detailed images of the body.
- Blood teststesting done to measure the levels of certain substances in the blood.
- Biopsyremoval of a section of tissue to analyse for cancer cells.
