Gemistocytic Astrocytoma

Samples from my "Alien" showed it to be an astrocytoma with gemistocytic properties. Treatment for this type of tumor is a "gray area," said Dr. Sajeel Chowdhary, MD, Neuro-Oncology Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. (I'm NOT calling him MY Neuro-Oncologist yet!) As anticipated, this type of tumor is WHO Grade II (Grade I is the most benign, Grade III and IV are considered malignant.) So this really is good news! The not-so -good news is that tumors with gemistocytes can have the tendency to regrow at a quicker rate than those without. I've chosen to take the watch and wait approach rather than the more aggressive routes of chemo and radiation. The radiation-oncologist at Moffitt said that this route is what he would recommend for his wife or daughter, so I'm going that way too. The fact that he is a radiation specialist (who certainly believes in what he does) helps me to feel comfortable that I'm doing what's best. So for now, we wait. We'll watch it in September with an MRI.