Could you tell me what is the long term prognosis of an astrocytoma of the spinal cord?

Spinal Cord Astrocytomas: Your prognosis depends on the type of tumor found. Low grade astrocytomas have an excellent prognosis; the higher the grade, however, points to a more aggressive tumor. These have, in general, shorter survival statistics. Until the surgery is performed, the extent of the invasion evaluated, and the tumor classified, it is impossible to predict outcomes with any certainty. Let's hope for the best!

Not curable: Well-differentiated / low grade ones can sometimes have prolonged survival but with disability depending on location. These are also uncommon enough that each case should be reviewed by an interdisciplnary team.

Distinctly uncommon: Spinal cord astrocytomas are distinctly uncommon, with less than 500 or so cases diagnosed per year. In large data base studies the median age was 22 years, and the bias is toward a younger population than the brain version. Younger patients tend to respond and do better with therapy, as do patients with less malignant appearing pathology.