Gliomatosis cerebri

Gliomatosis cerebri is a highly aggressive, rare form of malignant astrocytic tumor. It most commonly presents as a diffusely infiltrating glial tumor of the cerebral cortex.

• Glial means that it originates in the brain’s connective tissue.
• Astrocyticis another word for glial, and refers to the star-like shape of the astrocyte (a kind of glial cell).

As you read further below, you’ll find general information about gliomatosis cerebri. If you would like to view summary information about brain tumors first, see the overview on brain tumors.

How Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center approaches gliomatosis cerebri

We hold a weekly brain tumor clinic for newly diagnosed patients currently receiving treatment. Each time you come for an appointment, you meet with every specialist on your child’s team, from your pediatric neuro-oncologist, neurologist, and neurosurgeon, to your pediatric endocrinologist, psycho-oncologist and School liaison.

Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center’s Pediatric Brain Tumor Program offers your child the following services.

• Access to high-tech resources, like the intra-operative MRI, which allows our pediatric neurosurgeons to visualize the tumor as they operate with MRI scans. This means they can remove as much of the tumor as possible, and sometimes eliminate additional surgeries.
• Expert neuropathological review, using advanced molecular diagnostic testing, to identify your child’s exact type of tumor. This information helps predict which treatments are more likely to work.
• Access to unique Phase I clinical trials, from our own investigators, the Children’s Oncology Group and the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators Consortium. Studies offer treatment options beyond standard therapy.
• Ongoing care from pediatric neurologists familiar with the early symptoms and side effects of brain tumors and their treatments.

Access to one of the nation’s few dedicated pediatric brain tumor survivorship programs. This weekly clinic offers ongoing care to manage late effects caused by your child’s tumor or the treatment they received.