My husband has an intramedullary diffuse Grade 2 astrocytoma between the T1 and T4 that was diagnosed 18 months ago. At the time he was recovering from a kidney/pancreas transplant and was asymptomatic for the tumor. Since that time, he has suffered from extreme back pain radiating to the chest, decreased sensitization and difficulty standing from a prone position. He is now in severe pain. Within the last two months though, he has also been suffering from neck pain, headaches, dizziness, nausea and aphasia. Suspecting dissemenation, we had another MRI scan done. They found nothing within his brain and said there is no change in the spine from the MRI they did in February of 2009. What else could be causing the brain symptoms? Could a tumor within his head be to small to be detected by the MRI and still causing the symtoms? Could it be related to the spinal tumor? Could it be strokes caused by the blocking of the spinal canal? We don't think they are medication related issues as nothing new has been added to his medications. Also what pain relief works for an intramedullary astrocytoma? He hates taking the pain meds and has tried acupuncture with no success, but chemo and radiation are out as they would affect his transplants. Thanks for your help.