Before you read · Glioma definitions

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Every word on a glioma report, defined.

265 glioma terms, written for patients and families rather than clinicians. Each entry gives the one-line answer first, then what the term is, why it matters for a real decision, and the questions people actually ask about it.

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265terms defined
11sections, from report vocabulary to trials
50guides that use them
Freeno account, CC BY-SA once reviewed
All terms, A to ZShowing 24 of 265 · 265 total
  1. 001 GliomaCore Terms & Classification A glioma is a tumor that arises from the glial cells of the brain or spinal cord, the most common type of primary brain tumor.
  2. 002 Brain tumorCore Terms & Classification A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in or around the brain, which may be benign or malignant and may begin in the brain or spread from elsewhere.
  3. 003 Primary brain tumorCore Terms & Classification A primary brain tumor is one that begins in the brain itself, as opposed to spreading there from cancer elsewhere; gliomas are primary brain tumors.
  4. 004 Metastatic (secondary) brain tumorCore Terms & Classification A metastatic brain tumor is cancer that has spread to the brain from elsewhere in the body, distinct from a glioma, which begins in the brain.
  5. 005 Central nervous system (CNS) tumorCore Terms & Classification A central nervous system tumor is a tumor of the brain or spinal cord, the category that includes gliomas under the WHO classification.
  6. 006 Glial cellsCore Terms & Classification Glial cells are the supportive cells of the nervous system that surround and assist neurons, and the cells from which gliomas arise.
  7. 007 NeoplasmCore Terms & Classification A neoplasm is an abnormal, excessive growth of cells, the general medical term for a tumor, including gliomas.
  8. 008 Benign versus malignant (brain tumors)Core Terms & Classification Benign and malignant describe whether a tumor is non-cancerous or cancerous, though in the brain even benign tumors can cause problems by their location.
  9. 009 Diffuse gliomaCore Terms & Classification A diffuse glioma is a glioma that infiltrates surrounding brain tissue, the most common and clinically important category of glioma in adults.
  10. 010 Circumscribed gliomaCore Terms & Classification A circumscribed glioma is a glioma with relatively well-defined borders that does not widely infiltrate the brain, often more amenable to surgery.
  11. 011 WHO Classification of CNS TumorsCore Terms & Classification The WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System is the international standard system for naming, grouping, and grading brain and spinal cord tumors, including gliomas.
  12. 012 WHO CNS5 (2021 classification)Core Terms & Classification WHO CNS5 is the 2021 fifth edition of the brain tumor classification, which for the first time integrates molecular markers into how gliomas are defined and graded.
  13. 013 Tumor gradeCore Terms & Classification Tumor grade is a measure of how aggressive a tumor is expected to be, based on its appearance and molecular features, central to predicting glioma behavior.
  14. 014 WHO grade (1–4)Core Terms & Classification WHO grades 1 to 4 indicate increasing aggressiveness of a glioma, with grade 1 the least aggressive and grade 4 the most aggressive.
  15. 015 Low-grade gliomaCore Terms & Classification A low-grade glioma is a slower-growing glioma (generally grade 1 or 2), often with a more favorable outlook than high-grade gliomas.
  16. 016 High-grade gliomaCore Terms & Classification A high-grade glioma is a faster-growing, more aggressive glioma (generally grade 3 or 4), which requires prompt and intensive treatment.
  17. 017 Histopathology (histology)Core Terms & Classification Histopathology is the examination of tumor tissue under a microscope, a foundational step in diagnosing and grading gliomas.
  18. 018 Integrated (layered) diagnosisCore Terms & Classification An integrated diagnosis combines microscopic and molecular findings into a single, precise glioma diagnosis, the standard approach in the modern WHO system.
  19. 019 Adult-type diffuse gliomaCore Terms & Classification Adult-type diffuse gliomas are the main group of infiltrating gliomas in adults, comprising IDH-mutant astrocytoma, IDH-mutant oligodendroglioma, and IDH-wildtype glioblastoma.
  20. 020 Pediatric-type diffuse gliomaCore Terms & Classification Pediatric-type diffuse gliomas are infiltrating gliomas with the distinct biology typically seen in children, divided into low-grade and high-grade groups.
  21. 021 Astrocytoma (overview)Core Terms & Classification An astrocytoma is a glioma arising from astrocyte-like cells, ranging from low-grade tumors to grade 4, and defined in adults largely by IDH status.
  22. 022 Oligodendroglioma (overview)Core Terms & Classification An oligodendroglioma is a glioma defined by an IDH mutation together with 1p/19q codeletion, generally carrying the most favorable outlook among adult diffuse gliomas.
  23. 023 Glioblastoma (overview)Core Terms & Classification Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults, now defined as an IDH-wildtype, grade 4 diffuse astrocytic glioma.
  24. 024 Ependymoma (overview)Core Terms & Classification An ependymoma is a glioma arising from ependymal cells lining the brain's fluid spaces, a distinct type from the diffuse gliomas, often more circumscribed.
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