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Pediatric High-Grade Glioma

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High-Grade Gliomas

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Oncology ((CCO))

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Abstract

Brain tumors are the second-most common neoplasm in children, and the most common solid tumor. Glial tumors comprise about 40% of the primary brain tumors that occur in children. Slightly more than 50% of the glial neoplasms are low-grade tumors, and these are almost all pilocytic astrocytom as that occur in the cerebellum, optic apparatus, and diencephalon. As with adults, HGG in children may occur anywhere in the central nervous system (CNS). However, in children, there tends to be a greater percentage of tumors that are localized in the deep gray matter, cerebellum, and especially within the brainstem. Despite technological advances in neuroimaging, improvements in surgical techniques, advances in radiotherapy, and the proliferation of new anti-neoplastic agents, the prognosis for survival of high-grade glioma in children has only improved marginally over the past several decades. Although the prognosis for survival of supratentorial high-grade glioma is not as ominous in children as in adults, this survival advantage may be in part a result of stronger constitution of children as well as differences in the molecular genetic substrate of the neoplasm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH

    Bruce H. Cohen

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  1. Bruce H. Cohen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurological Surgery Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Brain Tumor Institute, Cleveland, OH

    Gene H. Barnett MD

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© 2007 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Cohen, B.H. (2007). Pediatric High-Grade Glioma. In: Barnett, G.H. (eds) High-Grade Gliomas. Current Clinical Oncology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-185-7_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-185-7_3

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-511-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-185-7

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