Can anaplastic ependymoma be cured?

All grades of ependymoma tumors are considered cancer. Like other primary brain and spinal cord tumors, these cancers are different in that they tend not to spread to other parts of the body, but can recur and require treatment. As with other cancers – some can be cured but others cannot.

Is anaplastic ependymoma rare?

Ependymoma is a very rare type of tumor that starts in the brain or spinal cord. It can happen in both children and adults. Your brain and your spinal cord make up your central nervous system (CNS).

How common is anaplastic ependymoma?

How common is ependymoma? In the United States, 200 new cases of ependymoma are found in children and adults each year. Ependymoma occurs more often in children than in adults. Ependymoma is the third most common type of brain tumors in children.

What is the 10-year survival rate for ependymoma?

In patients who have been treated according to best practices, ependymomas are associated with significant mortality. The 10-year survival rate for adult patients is 70–89% [2,3,4], and the 10-year overall survival rate is 64% in pediatric patients with ependymomas [5,6,7].

Are ependymomas hereditary?

Ependymoma, like other cancers, is a genetic disease.

What is ependymoma brain tumor?

An ependymoma is a primary central nervous system (CNS) tumor. This means it begins in the brain or spinal cord. To get an accurate diagnosis, a piece of tumor tissue will be removed during surgery, if possible.

Does ependymoma recur?

Even after the best treatment, ependymomas can regrow or recur. There is no way to predict which patients are more likely to have tumor recurrence. For this reason, routine check-ups and MRIs are highly recommended. Most commonly, the regrowth occurs in the same spot as the first tumor.

Are ependymomas malignant?

Grade III ependymomas are malignant (cancerous). This means they are fast-growing tumors. The subtypes include anaplastic ependymomas. These most often occur in the brain, but can also occur in the spine. Learn how a patient with an ependymoma in her spine has survived the disease for over 30 years.

Is myxopapillary ependymoma cancer?

Myxopapillary ependymoma (MEPN) is a slow-growing ependymoma (a type of glioma, which is a tumor that arises from the supportive tissue of the brain and spinal cord). They tend to occur in the lower part of the spinal column and are usually considered to be benign, low-grade or grade I tumors. The age of diagnosis ranges from 6 to 82 years.