How to Treat a Low Grade Glioma

According to Drugs.com, a glioma is a tumor that forms in the brain or spinal cord. Low-grade gliomas are benign, but may become malignant over a period of time. Low-grade gliomas are caused by diseases, radiation or genetic disposition and mostly affect people between 35 and 45 years old. Treating low-grade gliomas early helps prevent them from progressing into high-grade gliomas, which are more dangerous and can cause serious health issues. Treatment can also help relieve the symptoms that often accompany low-grade gliomas, such as seizures, headaches, fatigue, nausea and memory problems.

Things You'll Need

• Anti-convulsant medication
• Steroids

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Instructions

• 1

  Wait to see if low-grade gliomas disappear on their own. Often, patients diagnosed with low-grade gliomas do not report experiencing any adverse symptoms. In this case, a doctor might simply monitor the glioma to see if it is progressing or dissipating.

• 2

  Take prescription medications to help treat low-grade gliomas and the accompanying symptoms. Doctors sometimes prescribe anti-convulsants or steroids to patients diagnosed with gliomas. These medications help relieve inflammation in the brain and reduce symptoms such as seizures and headaches.

• 3

  Undergo surgery to help treat symptoms or remove low-grade gliomas. Open brain surgery is sometimes performed to remove all or part of low-grade gliomas. Doctors might also use surgery to place a tube in a patient's brain to help remove excess fluid and reduce swelling and relieve symptoms.

• 4

  Use chemotherapy or radiation to remove low-grade gliomas. Doctors sometimes use chemotherapy or radiation to reduce the size of gliomas and prevent tumor cells from spreading. Often, after the size of a glioma has been reduced, doctors will perform surgery to completely remove it.