Based in Hurst, Texas, James Kevin Kaufman, MD, leads a patient-centered practice that offers neurological and complex spine surgery treatments. Extensively published in his field, James Kevin Kaufman, MD, undertook research at West Virginia University on malignant brain tumors.
One common form of primary brain tumor is the glioma, which starts in the supportive glial cells that surround nerve cells. These tumors are intra-axial in the sense that they grow within the brain substance and frequently mix with normal brain tissue. Most common are astrocytomas, which are usually centered in the cerebrum, but can also occur in the smaller cerebellum, at the brain’s base.
A rare condition is the diffuse infiltrating brainstem glioma (DIPG), which centers in the brain stem and cannot be removed through surgery. This has to do with a combination of remote location and the way the tumor intertwines with healthy tissue in a part of the brain that is responsible for complex and delicate motor controls. Unlike astrocytomas, which become more common with age, DIPGs are most common among school-age children.
Another rare type of glioma that disproportionately affects young children is the ependymoma, which develops from ependymal cells that are either in the spinal cord or lining the ventricles. One major impact of these tumors is that they can block cerebral spinal fluid flow, and in the process, lead to buildup of pressure in the skull. Treatments for gliomas range from surgery involving craniotomy to radiation and chemotherapy.
One common form of primary brain tumor is the glioma, which starts in the supportive glial cells that surround nerve cells. These tumors are intra-axial in the sense that they grow within the brain substance and frequently mix with normal brain tissue. Most common are astrocytomas, which are usually centered in the cerebrum, but can also occur in the smaller cerebellum, at the brain’s base.
A rare condition is the diffuse infiltrating brainstem glioma (DIPG), which centers in the brain stem and cannot be removed through surgery. This has to do with a combination of remote location and the way the tumor intertwines with healthy tissue in a part of the brain that is responsible for complex and delicate motor controls. Unlike astrocytomas, which become more common with age, DIPGs are most common among school-age children.
Another rare type of glioma that disproportionately affects young children is the ependymoma, which develops from ependymal cells that are either in the spinal cord or lining the ventricles. One major impact of these tumors is that they can block cerebral spinal fluid flow, and in the process, lead to buildup of pressure in the skull. Treatments for gliomas range from surgery involving craniotomy to radiation and chemotherapy.
