Astrocytoma
Definition
Astrocytoma is a tumor that arises from astrocytes, star-shaped cells that play a supportive role in the brain.
Description
The brain acts as a computer that controls all of the functions of the body. It stores information, memories, and with the use of hormones and electrical impulses, regulates and sends instructions to the rest of the body. Because of the brain's importance, cancers in the brain can affect many of the body's functions. The location of a tumor within the brain determines which effects it will have. Astrocytomas may occur in the cerebrum, the site of thought and language, the cerebellum, the area responsible for movement and muscle co-ordination, or the brainstem, the...
[The entire page is 3479 words long]