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May 20, 2008 1:47 pm US/Eastern
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What Is A Malignant Glioma?
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Treatment and prognosis for Sen. Edward Kennedy's malignant brain tumor largely depends on the size, type and location of the tumor, WBZ's Dr. Mallika Marshall said.
Doctors for the Massachusetts Democrat said Tuesday that preliminary biopsy results showed a malignant glioma in the left parietal-lobe, which is the area of the brain that interprets sensations such as pain, temperature, touch, pressure, and shape. It is also involved in language.
Mass General Hospital officials said results from Kennedy's biopsy of the brain showed the tumor was the cause of his seizure that he suffered Saturday. Hospital officials said treatment for the tumor is a combination of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy.
A glioma is a tumor that starts in the brain or spinal cord. Kennedy's tumor is malignant, which means that it is cancerous and can be aggressive, but rarely do these types of tumors spread outside the nervous system.
Kennedy's treatment will be decided after more tests, though it may also include surgery depending on its location in the brain, Dr. Marshall said.
Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year -- and the most common type among adults. They are the most common type of brain tumor, accounting for more than half of the 18,000 pirmary malignant brain tumors diagnosed each year in the United States, Dr. Marshall said.
It's a starting diagnosis: How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is determined by further testing, which for Kennedy, may include specialized MRIs, EEGs, and PET scans to map out exactly where the tumor is and to determine the best course of treatment.
If surgery can be performed without significant risk to the patient, it's often tried. However, Dr. Marshall says the surgery itself can lead to significant disability.
The survival range for the type of brain tumor Senator Edward Kennedy has been diagnosed with can range from one to five years.
Average survival can range from less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types -- such as glioblastomas -- or to about five years for different types that are slower growing.
But if the tumor is determined to be very advanced and aggressive, like a glioblastoma, survival can be less than a year. Survival for slower growing tumors can be five years.
Surgery can be an option to reduce symptoms as a tumor enlarges and puts pressure on the rest of the brain. Many gliomas infiltrate normal brain tissue instead of forming a solid mass, making it hard to remove much of the tumor.
Mass. General Hospital also offers proton beam therapy for hard-to-rach tumors that are in areas that can't be operated on.
"He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital," said a joint statement issued by Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's primary care physician.
It's unknown how large the 76-year-old senator's tumor is. Kennedy has been hospitalized in Boston since Saturday, when he was airlifted from Cape Cod after a seizure at his home. Doctors say he is expected to remain hospitalized for the next couple days.
There are two types of gliomas -- benign and malignant. Malignant tumors, as in Kennedy's case, mean it has the potential to spread.
Symptoms can include chronic head aches, weakness, visual changes, and in Kennedy's case, he had seizures. Marshall says his course of treatment depends on the size of the tumor, and whether it is operable also depends on its size and location.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)