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- How Are The Different Grades Of Oligodendroglioma Treated?
How Are The Different Grades Of Oligodendroglioma Treated?

A complex aspect of treating brain tumours through neurosurgery or radiotherapy is that treatments need to be adaptable to the varying stages and locations of tumours within the brain.
An illustration of the variability of treatment can be seen in oligodendroglioma, a rare type of brain tumour that affects cells in the brain that produce nerve-protecting myelin sheaths.
Because of this, there are various locations where the glioma can develop and various grades of aggressiveness that they are categorised under. All of these different factors can have a significant effect on which treatments are available from specialist neurosurgeons.
To understand why, it is important to understand the grading system for brain tumours, how oligodendrogliomas can vary, and what treatments and support are available.
Why Are Brain Tumours Graded?
Similar to how other cancers are defined in terms of stages, brain tumours are graded based on the nature of the tumour’s cells and how likely they are to grow and for the condition to progress. Following a biopsy and other tests you may have on the tumour itself, a pathologist will assign a grade based on the behaviour of the cells. There are four main grades, themselves divided into low-grade and high-grade tumours. Low-grade tumours are generally categorised as being benign, whilst high-grade tumours are usually described as being malignant. The first two grades are typically non-cancerous whilst the latter two are cancerous. The four grades are as follows:- Grade 1 - At this grade, the tumour cells mostly resemble normal brain cells, and the tumour itself will grow very slowly and be unlikely to spread.
- Grade 2 - Whilst still slow growing, they can spread to nearby tissue, and are starting to look more abnormal under a microscope.
- Grade 3 - The cells are cancerous and there is a greater risk of them spreading beyond the brain to the spinal cord.
- Grade 4 - These tumours are fast-moving, are more likely to spread and typically require more intensive treatment to stop them growing back.