This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (31)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

A Radiation Oncologist's Viewpoint

Edward G. Shaw, MD

Arch Neurol. 1990;47(10):1138-1139.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To make a rational decision regarding the proper course of treatment for an adult with a supratentorial low-grade glioma, the physician must understand the pathology, natural history, and modern treatment options. In this regard, three commonly held beliefs may lead to the policy of routine observation,¹ which may be inappropriate.

The first commonly held belief is that low-grade gliomas are a homogeneous group of neoplasms. In fact, they are not. Recent studies have divided the low-grade gliomas into two distinct groups, the pilocytic astrocytomas and the ordinary astrocytomas (including oligoastrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas). Patients with pilocytic astrocytomas enjoy 10-year survivals of 80% or more following complete or even incomplete excision.²⁴ On the other hand, ordinary astrocytomas are associated with 10-year survivals of 20%.

This dismal prognosis challenges the second commonly held belief, which is that low-grade gliomas are benign^5-6 or indolent.¹ In an earlier study from my . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
From the Division of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication February 28, 1990.

Reprint requests to Division of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905 (Dr Shaw).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?