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YM BIOSCIENCES REPORTS PHASE II DATA FOR NIMOTUZUMAB IN METASTATIC ... FOXBusiness - Nimotuzumab is currently being evaluated in two Phase III trials as a first-line treatment for pediatric pontine glioma and adult glioma, a Phase II/III ...YMI - OTC:CMTX New York Times Readers? Questions: Options for Brain Cancer New York Times, United States - Jul 28, 2008 Although it has been reported he has a glioma, there are many types of gliomas, each with very different likely outcomes and different required treatments. ... The Doctor?s World The Story Behind Kennedy?s Surgery New York Times all 14 news articles » Malignant Gliomas New England Journal of Medicine (subscription), MA - Jul 30, 2008 Malignant gliomas account for approximately 70% of the 22500 new cases of malignant primary brain tumors that are diagnosed in adults in the United States ... Reader Views The Tennessean, TN - Aug 4, 2008 Ted Kennedy's recent diagnosis of glioma, a type of tumor long associated with cell-phone use. The American Cancer Society and FDA have dismissed the theory ... Brain Cancer Canada.com, Canada - Jul 25, 2008 Glioblastoma multiforme and Anaplastic astrocytoma are fast-growing gliomas. Oligodendroglioma, another type of glioma, is also rare, but is most often ... (Brain Tumour - Glial Cells, Cancer of the Brain - Glial Cells) Canada.com all 3 news articles » Sydney Morning Herald Cutting-edge scanner boost to brain surgery Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - Jul 31, 2008 "Gliomas are often very hard to differentiate from the normal brain with the naked eye but we can view them on an MRI scan," RPA's head of neurosurgery, ... Cytomegalovirus Immunity after Vaccination with Autologous ... New England Journal of Medicine (subscription), MA - Jul 30, 2008 An association has been discovered between human CMV and malignant gliomas. 3 , 4 , 5 We found that a CMV-specific CD8+ T-cell response was induced in a ... CTV.ca Cellphones are safe...aren?t they? CTV.ca, Canada - Aug 1, 2008 The Swedish authors of the meta-analysis found no overall increased risk of brain cancer (glioma) in the combined results of 10 studies. ... Kennedy Completes Cancer Treatment Boston Channel.com,  USA - Jul 25, 2008 The outlook for patients with malignant gliomas is generally poor. Median survival for patients with moderately severe ones is three to five years, ... Wife reports Sen. Ted Kennedy completes chemo treatment Boston Herald all 4 news articles » Increased chemotactic migration and growth in heparanase ... 7thSpace Interactive (press release), NY - Jul 22, 2008 In the current study, we overexpressed the human heparanase gene in a human U251n glioma cell line. We found that heparanase-overexpression significantly ...

Gliomas

About half of all brain tumors that start in the brain are gliomas. They usually occur in the lobes of the upper part of the brain, but they can also grow in other areas, especially near the optic nerve, brain stem and the cerebellum (particularly in children).

Gliomas are tumors that contain a variety of cell types, and the distribution of the cell types varies with each tumor. The most common type of gliomas are astrocytomas. They develop from abnormal, star-shaped cells. Astrocytomas are graded on a scale of 1 to 4, grade 4 being the most malignant. The types and grades of these tumors are:

• Well differentiated (low-grade or grade I and II) astrocytomas. These tumors contain cells that are less malignant than higher grade tumors. They grow slowly and can sometimes be completely removed by surgery. However, even well differentiated astrocytomas can be difficult to reach via surgery. If they are truly inaccessible, they can be life threatening.
• Anaplastic (grade III) astrocytomas. They grow more rapidly than the low-grade type, and contain cells that have malignant traits. Recommended treatment is surgery followed by radiation and chemotherapy.
• Glioblastoma multiforme (high grade or grade IV) astrocytomas. These tumors grow rapidly, invade nearby tissue and contain cells that are very malignant. Glioblastoma multiforme are among the most common and devastating primary brain tumors in adults. They are usually treated with surgery followed by radiation therapy. Chemotherapy may be used after radiation.

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Mixed gliomas contain more than one type of glial cell, usually astrocytes and other glial cell types like oligodendroglial cells. Treatment focuses on the most malignant cell type found within the tumor. They may be classified under anaplastic oligodendrogliomas or be called mixed gliomas, depending on the relative cell types seen by the pathologist.

Named for their location rather than for the cells they contain, brain stem gliomas are most common in children and young adults. Surgery is not usually an option to treat these types of tumors because of their location in vital or critical areas. Radiation therapy sometimes helps to reduce symptoms and improve survival by slowing the tumor's growth.

Also named for their location, these tumors are found on the optic nerve and are particularly common in individuals who have neurofibromatosis. Treatment may include surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Some of these tumors can be very slow growing and best managed by observation alone.

A neurologic evaluation should be done if a patient has slowly increasing signs of mental dysfunction, new seizures, persistent headaches or evidence that there is pressure inside the skull, such as vomiting or swelling or protrusion of the blind spot at the back of the eye.

A neurologist (a doctor who has received special additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the brain, spinal cord and nerves) performs a complete examination, which may include a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, a computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan or a chest X-ray to determine if the tumor has spread from another part of the body. An MRI usually finds low-grade astrocytomas earlier than CT. Cerebral angiography is rarely used to diagnose a brain tumor, but it may be done before surgery.

Depending on the patient's symptoms, specialized tests may be done, including tests of the field of vision, the sharpness of vision and hearing. If the results of other tests are not conclusive, an examination of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord may be done, although it is usually unnecessary.

Treatment of a brain tumor depends on the nature of the tumor, how rapidly it is growing, what symptoms it causing and where it is located. Often several treatment approaches are used. Surgery is usually done to make a diagnosis and to improve symptoms, and it may be enough to cure benign tumors.

Radiation therapy is required to treat gliomas. Radiation therapy may also be beneficial in the short-term for tumors that have spread from other parts of the body. Chemotherapy also benefits some patients with such tumors.

Low-grade gliomas (astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma, for example) should be removed surgically if possible, followed by radiation therapy. The timing of radiation therapy is debatable because early may be better therapeutically, but the brain can be exposed to radiation damage earlier than necessary.