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Stereotactic Brachytherapy in Low-Grade Gliomas

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Oncology of CNS Tumors

Abstract

The management of patients with low-grade gliomas remains a challenge. The natural course of the disease varies considerably and is highly influenced by treatment-independent factors, such as age, pretreatment performance score, tumor volume, contrast- enhancement on CT/MRI, and tumor histology [15] (Fig. 6.1). Young patients with small, nonenhancing tumors, excellent performance score, and oligodendroglial differentiation usually have favorable outcome scores (5-year survival rate in the range of 85%). The prognosis, however, dramatically decreases in the case of two or more unfavorable prognostic factors (5-year survival rates in the range of 10–40%) [2, 16]. In recent years, molecular-genetic markers have consistently gained prognostic relevance and proved to be a helpful tool in distinguishing glioma subgroups with respect to both prognosis and adequate treatment; whereas a mutation in TP53 status, for example, has been shown to be associated with a worse prognosis, loss of heterozygosity on 1p/19q conversely predicts a favorable prognosis in the case of oligoden-droglioma or mixed cell tumors [29, 30].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum, Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 15, München, 81377, Germany

    Friedrich W. Kreth

  2. Neurochirurgische Klinik, Klinikum Großhadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 15, München, 81377, Germany

    Jan H. Mehrkens

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  1. Friedrich W. Kreth
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Correspondence to Friedrich W. Kreth .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universitätsklinikum München Klinikum Großhadern Neurochirurgische Klinik, Marchioninistr. 15, München, 81377, Germany

    Jörg-Christian Tonn

  2. Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Krankenhaus Eppendorf Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie, Martinistr. 52, Neurologie, Hamburg, 20246, Germany

    Manfred Westphal

  3. Division of Neurosurgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue Suite 1502, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada

    James T. Rutka

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Kreth, F.W., Mehrkens, J.H. (2010). Stereotactic Brachytherapy in Low-Grade Gliomas. In: Tonn, JC., Westphal, M., Rutka, J.T. (eds) Oncology of CNS Tumors. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02874-8_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02874-8_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

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