What is glioma?

Also known as: mixed glioma, astrocytoma, ependymoma, optic glioma, gliomatosis cerebri

Glioma is a form of cancer that develops from glial cells of the brain - those cells which support and nourish the neurons.

Gliomas can vary depending the type of glial cell found:

• astrocytes
• oligodendrocytes
• ependymocytes
• mixed cell glioma

They also vary depending on their location (brainstem/optic nerve/spine or other part of the brain), and on their grade (depending on how normal or abnormal the cells appear):

• low grade tumors (grades 1 and 2; 66%; localized and grow slowly)
• higher grade (3 and 4 grow faster)

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM