Ependymoma is one of the most popular cancer cells that grow in the brain, spine, and other parts of the body, including both the upper and lower back and the neck.

What is Ependymoma?

Ependymoma is a cancerous cell that grows in the ventricles, which is between your brain and spinal cord, and it contains cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that helps you to protect the brain and spinal cord from injury and infection from toxins.

Ependymomas is a cancerous and rare tumor that grows in your brain and the spine before it grows into the neck, upper, and lower back. Ependymoma is completely different from another cancerous cell because it does not spread all over the body. But it’s spread more than one part of the brain or spine, ependymoma cancerous cell is very popular among children, or the adult also lives with it.

The initial development of ependymal cells is from the middle of the spinal cord before they grow into the fluid-filled spaces in your brain called ventricles.

Types of Ependymoma

Depending on the symptoms, location, and aggressiveness, Ependymoma is classified into three types.

Classic

This is the early stage of Ependymoma, and it usually appears at the lower part of the brain that contained the cerebellum and the brain stem before it grows into the spinal cord within the cerebral cortex and the upper part of the brain.

Anaplastic

This is the advanced level of Ependymoma, and it is more aggressive than the classic stage of Ependymoma. At this stage, the cell will be growing faster than before, and it will develop into another part of the brain, including the posterior fossa and all the parts that contain the cerebellum and brain stem.

Myxopapillary Ependymoma

This type of Ependymoma is common among adults because children with ependymoma cells are the limit to the base of the spinal cord, while adults can go be beyond the spinal cord.

What Causes of Ependymoma

Currently, there is not a proven cause of Ependymoma. There are several types of research that are yet to be proven the major causes of ependymomas.

You may get a higher chance of getting the disease if you have a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis type 2.

Ependymomas affected both men and women, especially adults in their 40s to 60s; likewise, 30% of ependymoma cases happen in children under the age of 3.

Ependymomas in Children Versus Adult

Ependymomas affect both men and women, adults in their 40s and 60s, and over 30% of ependymomas cases happen to young children of age 3 or below.

There are major differences between ependymomas in children and adults. Although it can develop at any age, it is very common among children compared to adults.

Ependymomas’ symptoms and effects are completely different depending on individual age. Most adult ependymomas are common in the spine, while children’s ependymomas tumor is mostly located in their brain.

When it comes to ependymomas treatment, age also affects the method of treatment because young children may not be able to undergo several surgeries and other cancerous treatment, but adults can undergo treatment and surgeries.

The development of ependymomas in children may be slower than an adult, children with Ependymoma may find it difficult to sleep, and their heads will grow bigger as the cancerous tumor develops in their brain.

Symptoms of Ependymoma

There are several symptoms of Ependymoma, although the symptoms depend on the level or type of Ependymoma.

These are the most common major symptoms of Ependymoma.

 Adults or children that are living with Ependymoma may experience these health issues listed below.

• A hard time peeing
• Seizures or frequent headaches.
• Endless feeling of nauseousness or throwing up.
• Lost of your balance.
• Blurry vision.
• Regular feeling confused or irritable.
• If the illness is in your spine, you may have:
• Stiffness in your back or neck.
• Paralysis or fatigue in your arms or legs
• Sexual problems.

Possible Diagnosis of Ependymoma

Physical Exam

The most effective method of diagnosing Ependymoma is to carry out a medical and physical test. Your doctor will go on to check your body and then ask questions about your health, family, and medical history. The doctor is also expected to check your body and ask about your health and medical history.

Neurological Exam

Several neurological exams will be carried out, your doctor will check your brain movement to check out your brain, nerves, and spinal cord effectiveness.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

MRI is also one of the most effective methods of diagnosing Ependymoma. This effective scan will draw a detailed and clear picture of your organs. It will shot the collections of cancerous cells, and they show in pictures.

Spinal Tap

You need to lie down on your side so that your doctor will be able to use a sharp needle to collect fluid from your spine that will be used for several lab tests, and technicians will analyze it.

Biopsy

Biopsy is another method of diagnosing Ependymoma, it can only be done during surgery, and it will allow your doctor to know the current type and grade of the tumor.

Treatment of Ependymoma

There are various methods of treating Ependymoma, but the sort of treatment for Ependymoma depends on the type, grade, location of the tumor, your age, and others details before your doctor can decide the kind of treatment that you need.

Aside from that, you’ll be working with teams of oncologists, neurosurgeons, and neurologists.

Observation

Observation is needed before the commencement of treatment because Ependymoma is one of the tumors that grow

slowly. If you don’t have any other symptoms, you may not be able to treat it because the doctor will work on the symptoms and follow it up as it grows.

Surgery

Immediately the tumor is larger and discovered the cause and symptoms, then the surgery may begin.

If the tumor is in the spinal, the surgeons will need to make a small cut into your spinal cord so that they remove the tumor, and if it is in the brain, then the surgeons need to remove part of your skull so that they will be able to cuts out the tiny piece of brain tissue.

During the operation, surgeons go on to make use of a microscope to check the cells. In case if they locate the ependymoma cell, they will be able to take it out as soon as possible.

In most cases, the tumors are removed safely without any side effects from the operation.

Immediately after the surgery, you will go for MRI to check, where the surgeon will be able to remove the entire tumor. You may do the operation again if the tumor is still in your body so that surgeons can take the rest out immediately.

Radiation or Chemotherapy

Radiation or chemotherapy is also needed even after the surgery and remove all the tumor from your body. The radiation will help secure the remaining cancerous cells in your body. Although radiation is risky for children under the age of terror because it raises the chance of growing several health problems.

There are some manufacturer’s supplements that can be used to replace radiation for your young children that are living with Ependymoma, there are some anti-cancerous supplements that kill cancer cells without side effects. These supplements can be used to replace radiation among young children between the age of 1 to 5.

Prevention of Ependymoma

Currently, there is not manufactured supplement or surgery that can prevent ependymomas.

In Conclusion

Ependymoma is one of the most popular cancerous cells that affects children and adults in their 40s and 60s. It can even affect children from their mother’s womb.

Basically, it affects children’s brains or parts of the brain. In most cases, it affects adults in their spinal cord and another part of the body that is very close to the spinal cord.

Currently, there is no manufactured supplement that can treat Ependymoma or prevent this deadly cancerous disease.

Symptoms of Ependymoma include;

• Lose your balance.
• Blurry vision
• Regular feeling confused or irritable.
• Stiffness in your neck or back
• Low sexual performance among adults and children living with Ependymoma grows bigger heads.

Quick and early treatment of Ependymoma helps to reduce the effect, although the cell grows slowly in the body. It is also important to pick the best method of treatment when it comes to ependymoma treatment. Several tests and research need to be carried out before the commencement of the treatment.