Oligodendroglioma

Oligodendroglioma is a type of brain tumor, but in rare cases, it can form in your spinal cord. These tumors develop from a specific type of glial cell: oligodendrocytes. Glial cells are the support cells of your nervous system. They maintain and protect the neurons that send and relay signals within, to and from your brain.

Tumors that come from glial cells are called gliomas. Oligodendrogliomas account for between 5% and 15% of all gliomas, and about 3% to 4% of all brain tumors. Worldwide, healthcare providers diagnose just under 24,000 people with oligodendroglioma each year. Most people who have it are between the ages of 40 and 50.

What are oligodendrocytes?

The name “oligodendrocyte” comes from several Greek words and breaks down like so:

• Oligo-: Small.
• -dendro-: Tree-like.
• -cytes: Cells.

Every neuron has a main cell body with an arm-like extension called an axon. Many neurons have a myelin sheath around their axon. This fatty coating protects the axon and maintains signal speed as it passes through the neuron.

Oligodendrocytes have a main body and dozens of arm-like extensions that wrap around the axons of about 30 to 40 nearby neurons (which is why oligodendrocytes are “tree-like”). These extensions provide the myelin sheath for the axons of the connected neurons.

Are there different types of oligodendrogliomas?

The World Health Organization (WHO) grading scale ranges from grade 1 (lowest) to grade 4 (highest). Oligodendrogliomas fall into two main types under this grading scale:

• Oligodendrogliomas WHO grade 2: Also known as “low-grade oligodendrogliomas,” these oligodendrogliomas typically grow slowly. They also tend to respond well to treatment.
• Oligodendrogliomas WHO grade 3: Also known as “high-grade oligodendrogliomas” (and formerly known as “anaplastic oligodendrogliomas”), these are malignant. That’s because they’re more aggressive. They may spread faster and be harder to treat.