Intraoperative Photon Radiosurgery in Patients with Malignant Brain Tumours

Abstract

Malignant brain tumours (MBTs) comprise primary malignant tumours (PMTs) and metastatic tumours (METs). MBTs are responsible for 3 % of all cancer deaths worldwide and are the second most common cause of cancer death in young people. They carry a very dismal prognosis, typically representing a death sentence that may be deferred by up to merely 36 weeks inspite of treatment (Obwegeser et al. 1995; Eljamel 2004). PMTs represent 40 % of all primary brain tumours, and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the commonest type (Stupp 2007). Although progress has been made in the pathophysiology of GBMs, overall survival remains very poor and individual prediction of clinical outcome remains an elusive goal. Despite extensive clinical trials, the median survival of patients with GBM is still 12–14 months, with fewer than 26 % surviving for 2 years. In a series of 279 patients, only five (1.8 %) survived for 3 years (Lamborn et al. 2004). Multimodality therapeutic approaches would be necessary to improve this dismal outcome.