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Is subependymoma a cancer?
What is Subependymoma? Subependymomas are benign tumors in the ventricles that grow from the ventricular wall into the spinal fluid spaces within the brain. These lesions may obstruct spinal fluid flow and/or put pressure on surrounding structures, causing symptoms including headaches and confusion.
Can ependymoma cancer be cured?
All grades of ependymoma tumors are considered cancer. Like other primary brain and spinal cord tumors, these cancers are different in that they tend not to spread to other parts of the body, but can recur and require treatment. As with other cancers – some can be cured but others cannot.
How common is subependymoma?
Some studies have estimated subependymomas to make up between 0.2 and 0.7% of all intracranial tumors. Subependymomas most often arise in the fourth (50–60%) and the lateral ventricles (30–40%). In some patients, however, they have a predilection for the spine, and present in the cervical and cervicothoracic regions.
What causes ependymoma?
Ependymomas start when certain types of glial cell called ependymal cells start to grow out of control. These cells line the ventricles of the brain. The ventricles are the chambers that contain the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that bathes and cushions the brain and spinal cord.
What is the best treatment for ependymoma?
Surgery: Surgery is the most common ependymoma treatment. Your neurosurgeon removes as much of the tumor as possible while keeping healthy tissue intact. Surgery is often the only treatment you need for an ependymoma. Radiation therapy: Your radiation oncologist uses strong energy beams to shrink or destroy tumor cells.
What is subependymoma and how is it treated?
These lesions may obstruct spinal fluid flow and/or put pressure on surrounding structures, causing symptoms including headaches and confusion. At UPMC, the preferred surgical treatment for subependymoma is Neuroendoport® surgery. Neuroendoport surgery gives surgeons access to the lesions through a dime-size channel.
How is ependymoma diagnosed?
An ependymoma is a primary central nervous system (CNS) tumor. This means it begins in the brain or spinal cord. To get an accurate diagnosis, a piece of tumor tissue will be removed during surgery, if possible. A neuropathologist should then review the tumor tissue.
What percentage of ependymomas are subependymomas?
Eight percent of all diagnosed ependymomas are classified as subependymoma. In general, subependymomas occur more in males, individuals over 40 years old, and in Caucasians. People with subependymomas often do not have symptoms at the time of diagnosis but common symptoms can arise depending on where the tumor is located.