Recurrent Cancer There is no standard therapy for recurrent brain stem glioma. These children cannot have surgery, have already received maximum radiation therapy , and there are no standard
chemotherapy drugs that have significant results. They should be entered in a Phase I or Phase II clinical drug trial.
Cerebral Astrocytoma
Low Grade
These tumors may sometimes be completely removed surgically, in which case they have a favorable
prognosis . These tumors spread by extension to the adjacent brain and sometimes occur in multiple sites.
Standard Treatment The treatment for low-grade supratentorial astrocytoma is surgery. If the tumor cannot be completely removed, radiotherapy may be given after the operation. In some centers, radiotherapy is withheld until progression of disease is shown. Initial results of chemotherapy are promising. However, withholding radiotherapy until progression of disease observed either chemically or radiologically is becoming acceptable therapy, as not all tumors will progress. For the child under the age of five with disease progression, chemotherapy would be the first choice for salvage therapy.
