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About this Condition
Astrocytoma
About this Condition
About this Condition: Astrocytoma
Grades of Astrocytoma
While doctors classify most types of cancer into stages, brain tumors are categorized into 4 grades. Factors that determine the grade include how fast the tumor grows and its likelihood of spreading.
The 4 grades of astrocytomas are:
- Grade 1 astrocytoma (non-infiltrating): Slow-growing tumors that typically do not expand into surrounding tissue
- Grade 2 astrocytoma (low grade): Tumors that usually develop slowly, but can expand into surrounding tissue and grow more quickly over time
- Grade 3 astrocytoma (anaplastic): Tumors that grow faster than those with grade 2
- Grade 4 astrocytoma (glioblastomas): Fastest-growing and most-aggressive type of all nervous system tumors. Please read our description of glioblastomas to learn more.