Repeated operations for infiltrative low-grade gliomas without intervening therapy

2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 1165-1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meic H. Schmidt ◽  
Mitchel S. Berger ◽  
Kathleen R. Lamborn ◽  
Ken Aldape ◽  
Michael W. McDermott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Progression ◽  
Median Time ◽  
Initial Diagnosis ◽  
Gross Total Resection ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Total Resection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas ◽  
Second Surgery ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Progression of infiltrative low-grade gliomas (LGGs) has been reported previously. The limitations of such studies include diverse histological grading systems, intervening therapy, and the lack of histological confirmation of malignant tumor progression. The aim of this study was to determine tumor progression in adult patients with an initial diagnosis of infiltrative LGG who subsequently underwent a repeated operation, but no other intervening therapy. The authors examined factors that may be associated with tumor progression. Methods. The authors retrospectively reviewed a database of 300 patients with the initial diagnosis of LGG and who had been treated at their institution between 1990 and 2000. One hundred four of these patients had undergone a second surgery. Patients with infiltrative LGGs who had undergone two surgical procedures at least 3 months apart without intervening therapy were selected; the authors identified 40 patients who fit these criteria. Clinical, neuroimaging, and pathological data were centrally reviewed. There were 29 men and 11 women in the study, whose median age was 35.5 years (range 23–48 years). At the time of the second surgery, 50% of patients had experienced tumor progression. Patients whose tumors had progressed had a longer median time to repeated operation (49 compared with 22.5 months). Patients who had undergone gross-total resection, as demonstrated on postoperative magnetic resonance images, had a median time to repeated operation of 49 compared with 25 and 24 months in patients who underwent subtotal resection and biopsy, respectively (p = 0.02). The extent of resection did not influence the likelihood of tumor progression (p > 0.3). Conclusions. Fifty percent of patients with initially diagnosed infiltrative LGGs had tumor progression at the time of a repeated operation. A gross-total resection was associated with an increased time to repeated surgery. There was no statistically significant effect of gross-total resection as a predictor of tumor progression.

Hydrocephalus associated with intramedullary low-grade gliomas

1995 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 480-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Cinalli ◽  
Christian Sainte-Rose ◽  
Arielle Lellouch-Tubiana ◽  
Guy Sebag ◽  
Dominique Renier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Tumor ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas ◽  
Leptomeningeal Seeding ◽  
Secondary Implantation ◽  
Csf Hydrodynamics ◽  
Neuroradiological Examination ◽  
Subarachnoid Spaces ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Over the past 15 years, eight children affected by intramedullary low-grade gliomas associated with hydrocephalus were treated at l'Hôpital des Enfants Malades. In all cases the diagnosis of hydrocephalus was made prior to that of the spinal tumor. Neuroradiological examination of all patients revealed contrast enhancement of the intracranial subarachnoid spaces. In six cases this was progressive, suggesting subarachnoid spread of the tumor, which was confirmed in two cases by histological examination. The authors analyzed 38 cases of intramedullary low-grade glioma associated with hydrocephalus that were reported in the literature. Fifteen of the cases had intracranial leptomeningeal seeding. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this unusual association, such as 1) increase in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) viscosity because of elevated fluid protein content; 2) obliteration of the cisterna magna due to a rostral extension of the tumor; and 3) blockage of the spinal subarachnoid pathways of CSF resorption. Two other theories seem of particular interest. Bamford and Labadie suggested that the abnormal presence of fibrinogen in the CSF and its transformation into fibrin at the level of the basal cisterns and Pacchioni's granulation may alter CSF hydrodynamics. This mechanism alone is sufficient to induce hydrocephalus of the communicating type. In addition, as suggested by Maurice-Williams and Lucey, the resulting leptomeningeal fibrosis might predispose secondary implantation of neoplastic elements in the subarachnoid spaces of the intracranial compartment.

Is gross-total resection sufficient treatment for posterior fossa ependymomas?

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 629-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leland Rogers ◽  
Jeanette Pueschel ◽  
Robert Spetzler ◽  
William Shapiro ◽  
Stephen Coons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Posterior Fossa ◽  
Local Control ◽  
Median Duration ◽  
Local Control Rate ◽  
Gross Total Resection ◽  
Total Resection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The goals of this study were to analyze outcomes in patients with posterior fossa ependymomas, determine whether gross-total resection (GTR) alone is appropriate treatment, and evaluate the role of radiation therapy. Methods. All patients with newly diagnosed intracranial ependymomas treated at Barrow Neurological Institute between 1983 and 2002 were identified. Those with supratentorial primary lesions, subependymomas, or neuraxis dissemination were excluded. Forty-five patients met the criteria for the study. Gross-total resection was accomplished in 32 patients (71%) and subtotal resection (STR) in 13 (29%). Radiation therapy was given to 25 patients: 13 following GTR and 12 after STR. The radiation fields were craniospinal followed by a posterior fossa boost in six patients and posterior fossa or local only in the remaining patients. With a median follow-up period of 66 months, the median duration of local control was 73.5 months with GTR alone, but has not yet been reached for patients with both GTR and radiotherapy (p = 0.020). The median duration of local control following STR and radiotherapy was 79.6 months. The 10-year actuarial local control rate was 100% for patients who underwent GTR and radiotherapy, 50% for those who underwent GTR alone, and 36% for those who underwent both STR and radiotherapy, representing significant differences between the GTR-plus-radiotherapy and GTR-alone cohorts (p = 0.018), and between the GTR-plus-radiotherapy and the STR-plus-radiotherapy group (p = 0.003). There was no significant difference in the 10-year actuarial local control rate between the GTR-alone and STR-plus-radiotherapy cohorts (p = 0.370). The 10-year overall survival was numerically superior in patients who underwent both GTR and radiotherapy: 83% compared with 67% in those who underwent GTR alone and 43% in those who underwent both STR and radiotherapy. These differences did not achieve statistical significance. Univariate analyses revealed that radiotherapy, tumor grade, and extent of resection were significant predictors of local control. Conclusions. Gross-total resection should be the intent of surgery when it can be accomplished with an acceptable degree of morbidity. Even after GTR has been confirmed with postoperative imaging, however, adjuvant radiotherapy significantly improves local control. The authors currently recommend the use of postoperative radiotherapy, regardless of whether the resection is gross total or subtotal.

Low-grade gliomas of the cerebral hemispheres in children: an analysis of 71 cases

1995 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 536-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian F. Pollack ◽  
Diana Claassen ◽  
Qasim Al-Shboul ◽  
Janine E. Janosky ◽  
Melvin Deutsch
Keyword(s):  
Overall Survival ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Tumor Resection ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Low-grade gliomas constitute the largest group of cerebral hemispheric tumors in the pediatric population. Although complete tumor resection is generally the goal in the management of these lesions, this can prove difficult to achieve because tumor margins may blend into the surrounding brain. This raises several important questions on the long-term behavior of the residual tumor and the role of adjuvant therapy in the management of these lesions. To examine these issues, the authors reviewed their experience in 71 children with low-grade cerebral hemispheric gliomas who were treated at their institution between 1956 and 1991 and assessed the relationship between clinical, radiographic, pathological, and treatment-related factors and outcome. Only seven patients in the series died, one from perioperative complications, five from progressive disease, and one (a child with neurofibromatosis) from a second neoplasm. For the 70 patients who survived the perioperative period, overall actuarial survivals at 5, 10, and 20 years were 95%, 93%, and 85%, respectively; progression-free status was maintained in 88%, 79%, and 76%, respectively. On univariate analysis, the factor that was most strongly associated with both overall and progression-free survival was the extent of tumor resection (p = 0.013 and p = 0.015, respectively). A relationship between extent of resection and progression-free survival was present both in patients with pilocytic astrocytomas (p = 0.041) and those with nonpilocytic tumors (p = 0.037). Histopathological diagnosis was also associated with overall survival on univariate analysis; poorer results were seen in the patients with nonpilocytic astrocytoma compared to those with other low-grade gliomas, such as pilocytic astrocytoma, mixed glioma, and oligodendroglioma (p = 0.021). The use of radiotherapy was not associated with a significant improvement in overall survival (p = 0.6). All three patients who ultimately developed histologically confirmed anaplastic changes in the vicinity of the original tumor had received prior radiotherapy, 20, 46, and 137 months, respectively, before the detection of malignant progression. In addition, children who received radiotherapy had a significantly higher incidence of late cognitive and endocrine dysfunction than the nonirradiated patients (p < 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). The authors conclude that children with low-grade gliomas of the cerebral hemispheres have an excellent overall prognosis. Complete tumor resection provides the best opportunity for long-term progression-free survival. However, even with incomplete tumor excision, long-term progression-free survival is common. The findings in this study do not support the routine use of postoperative radiotherapy after an initial incomplete tumor resection: although irradiation appears to increase the likelihood of long-term progression-free survival, overall survival is not improved significantly, and long-term morbidity may be increased.

Interstitial radiosurgery of low-grade gliomas

1995 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedrich W. Kreth ◽  
Michael Faist ◽  
Peter C. Warnke ◽  
Reinhard Roβner ◽  
Benedikt Volk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ct Scan ◽  
Tumor Recurrence ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Who Grade ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas ◽  
Interstitial Radiosurgery ◽  
Grade Ii ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The treatment of patients with low-grade gliomas remains a subject of controversy, especially with respect to new treatment modalities such as interstitial radiosurgery (brachytherapy), radiosurgery, and stereotactic radiotherapy. In a retrospective analysis conducted between 1979 and 1991, the authors studied the results of interstitial radiosurgery in 455 patients with low-grade gliomas (World Health Organization (WHO) Grade I + WHO Grade II) with regard to survival time, quality of life, the risk of malignant transformation, and the risk profile of the treatment concept. Interstitial radiosurgery with iodine-125 was performed using permanent (1979–1985) or temporary implants (after 1985) with low-dose rates (≤ 10 cGy/hr) and a reference dose of 60 to 100 Gy calculated to the outer rim of the tumor. The 5- and 10-year survival rates in patients with pilocytic astrocytomas (97 patients) were 84.9% and 83%, and in patients with WHO Grade II astrocytomas (250 patients) 61% and 51%, respectively. Five-year survival rates for patients with oligoastrocytomas (60 patients), oligodendrogliomas (27 patients), and gemistocytic astrocytomas (21 patients) were 49%, 50%, and 32%, respectively. In the group with WHO Grade II gliomas, young age and a good performance status were associated with a better prognosis. Unfavorable factors were midline shift, enhancement on computerized tomography (CT) scan, and tumor recurrence after previous radiotherapy or surgery. Tumor location had no influence on the prognosis (247 patients in this series had deep-seated tumors). Malignant transformation was the major cause of death. Important risk factors for malignancy were the patient's age, tumor enhancement in CT scan, and tumor recurrence after previous surgery or radiotherapy. Perioperative mortality was 0.9% and perioperative morbidity was 1.7%. Radiogenic complications were observed in 2.7% of all patients, most often in larger tumors and after using permanent implants. The authors conclude that interstitial radiosurgery represents a specific treatment modality for selected patients with unifocal circumscribed low-grade gliomas with a diameter of less than 4 cm in any location. The efficacy of this treatment lies in the same range as the best results after surgery and radiotherapy.

scholarly journals LG-48PAEDIATRIC LOW GRADE GLIOMAS - IMPACT OF GROSS TOTAL RESECTION IN A SINGLE CENTRE COHORT

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (suppl 3) ◽  
pp. iii89.3-iii89
Author(s):  
Noelle Cullinan ◽  
John Caird ◽  
Michael Capra ◽  
Jane Pears ◽  
Cormac Owens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gross Total Resection ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Single Centre ◽  
Total Resection ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas

Vestibular schwannoma management

1998 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 949-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce E. Pollock ◽  
L. Dade Lunsford ◽  
Douglas Kondziolka ◽  
Raymond Sekula ◽  
Brian R. Subach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Surgical Resection ◽  
Vestibular Schwannoma ◽  
Tumor Resection ◽  
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery ◽  
Gross Total Resection ◽  
Total Resection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tumor Enlargement ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The indications, operative findings, and outcomes of vestibular schwannoma microsurgery are controversial when it is performed after stereotactic radiosurgery. To address these issues, the authors reviewed the experience at two academic medical centers. Methods. During a 10-year interval, 452 patients with unilateral vestibular schwannomas underwent gamma knife radiosurgery. Thirteen patients (2.9%) underwent delayed microsurgery at a median of 27 months (range 7–72 months) after they had undergone radiosurgery. Six of the 13 patients had undergone one or more microsurgical procedures before they underwent radiosurgery. The indications for surgery were tumor enlargement with stable symptoms in five patients, tumor enlargement with new or increased symptoms in five patients, and increased symptoms without evidence of tumor growth in three patients. Gross-total resection was achieved in seven patients and near-gross-total resection in four patients. The surgery was described as more difficult than that typically performed for schwannoma in eight patients, no different in four patients, and easier in one patient. At the last follow-up evaluation, three patients had normal or near-normal facial function, three patients had moderate facial dysfunction, and seven had facial palsies. Three patients were incapable of caring for themselves, and one patient died of progression of a malignant triton tumor. Conclusions. Failed radiosurgery in cases of vestibular schwannoma was rare. No clear relationship was demonstrated between the use of radiosurgery and the subsequent ease or difficulty of delayed microsurgery. Because some patients have temporary enlargement of their tumor after radiosurgery, the need for surgical resection after radiosurgery should be reviewed with the neurosurgeon who performed the radiosurgery and should be delayed until sustained tumor growth is confirmed. A subtotal tumor resection should be considered for patients who require surgical resection of their tumor after vestibular schwannoma radiosurgery.

Low-grade gliomas in children: tumor volume response to radiation

1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 969-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara J. Fisher ◽  
Glenn S. Bauman ◽  
Christopher E. Leighton ◽  
Larry Stitt ◽  
J. Gregory Cairncross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ct Scan ◽  
Tumor Volume ◽  
Residual Tumor ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Tumor Shrinkage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors conducted a retrospective review to examine and document the frequency, degree, and timing of the radiologically confirmed response to radiotherapy of low-grade gliomas in children. Methods. Between 1963 and 1995, 80 patients 17 years of age or younger were referred to the London Regional Cancer Centre in London, Ontario after diagnosis of a low-grade glioma. All patients underwent surgical resection or biopsy procedures and 47 underwent radiotherapy (40 postoperatively and seven at the time of tumor progression). Nineteen patients with residual measurable lesions who received radiation therapy were selected for volumetric analysis of tumor response to this treatment. The extent and timing of response to radiation were determined by the process of comparing postoperative, preirradiation computerized tomography (CT) scans with postirradiation, follow-up CT scans. For one patient the comparison was made by using serial magnetic resonance images. Residual tumor was found on postoperative CT scans in all cases. The mean preradiotherapy tumor volume was 17.1 cm3, and the postradiotherapy volume was reduced to a mean of 11.5 cm3. A reduction in tumor volume was demonstrated in eight patients by the time of their first postirradiation follow-up CT scan and in two patients a slower reduction in volume over time was shown, bringing the total number of “responders” to 10. In five of these 10 patients the tumor had shown a maximum response by the time of the first postirradiation CT scan; the median time to response was 3.3 months. A 25% or greater reduction in tumor volume was seen in eight (42%) of the 19 patients. A 50% or greater reduction was noted in five (26%) of the patients. A complete response was demonstrated at 7, 12, and 15 months, and 5 years, respectively, in four patients (21%). One responder's tumor eventually increased in size after radiotherapy and he died of his disease. The magnitude of the radiographically demonstrated response to radiation did not correlate significantly with clinical outcome (that is, survival or symptom improvement). Conclusions. On the basis of this CT scan analysis of the response of low-grade gliomas in children to radiotherapy, the authors suggest that these lesions respond to radiation, as demonstrated by tumor shrinkage on serial imaging. Major or complete responses occur occasionally. However, low-grade gliomas in children mimic other benign brain tumors such as pituitary adenomas and meningiomas in that, although growth is frequently arrested after radiotherapy, residual tumor can persist for many years, illustrating that tumor shrinkage may not be a good measure of treatment efficacy. Nevertheless, radiation therapy can result in improvement of clinical symptomatology in association with or independent of visible tumor reduction. As radiation treatment techniques become increasingly conformal and because studies indicate that lower doses of radiation may be equally effective, improvement of symptoms may be an important consideration when weighing treatment options, particularly in patients with residual or unresectable disease.

Biological significance of tissue plasminogen activator content in brain tumors

1991 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 480-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Sawaya ◽  
O. Juhani Rämö ◽  
Mei Lin Shi ◽  
George Mandybur
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumors ◽  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Tumor Necrosis ◽  
Tumor Tissue ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Fresh brain-tumor samples were obtained at operation and analyzed for their content of tissue type plasminogen activator (tPA) using an activity assay (gel chromatography zymogram) and an enzyme-linked immunospecific assay. The specimens were taken from 23 glioblastomas, 35 metastatic tumors, 42 meningiomas, 16 low-grade gliomas, and seven acoustic neurinomas; seven specimens were from normal brain. A strong correlation was found between the results of the two assays (r = 0.77, p < 0.0001). There was a threefold difference in the tPA content of the benign tumors as compared to malignant tumors (p = 0.0006), the latter having less tPA. Histologically benign meningiomas contained higher tPA than malignant meningiomas (p = 0.01); however, the difference between low-grade gliomas and high-grade gliomas was less evident. Overall regression analysis data have shown an inverse relationship between the tissue content in tPA and the presence and degree of tumor necrosis and peritumoral brain edema (p = 0.004 and p = 0.0004, respectively). This finding was most consistent in the glioblastoma group where the correlation coefficient values were r = 0.53 and r = −0.55, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the tissue tPA content and the age and sex, steroid use, or plasma tPA of the patients or the duration of symptoms. In summary, this is the first demonstration of tPA in a large series of human brain tumors and in normal brain. The differences observed have clear biological significance and, although the source of tPA in tumor tissue is still unknown, a relative reduction in tPA in tumor tissue may play an integral role in the development of tissue necrosis and tissue edema. The lack of tPA in tumor necrosis was not due to tissue destruction and cell death since urokinase was readily detectable in that tissue.

scholarly journals Gross-total resection of temporal low grade gliomas is a critically important factor in achieving seizure-freedom

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 924-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Crociati Meguins ◽  
Rodrigo Antônio Rocha da Cruz Adry ◽  
Sebastião Carlos da Silva Júnior ◽  
Carlos Umberto Pereira ◽  
Jean Gonçalves de Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intractable Epilepsy ◽  
Gross Total Resection ◽  
Seizure Outcome ◽  
Seizure Freedom ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Total Resection ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
One Year

Objective To present a surgical series of patients with low grade temporal gliomas causing intractable epilepsy, focusing on long-term seizure outcome.Method A retrospective study was conducted with patients with temporal low-grade gliomas (LGG).Results Sixty five patients with were operated in our institution. Males were more affected than females and the mean age at surgery was 32.3 ± 8.4 (9-68 years). The mean age at seizure onset was 25.7 ± 9.2 (11-66 years). Seizure outcome was classified according with Engel classification. After one year of follow up, forty two patients (64.6%) were Engel I; seventeen (26.2%) Engel II; four (6.2%) Engel III and two (3.1%) Engel IV. Statistically significant difference in seizure outcome was obtained when comparing the extension of resection. Engel I was observed in 39 patients (69.6%) with total resection and in only 3 (33.3%) patients with partial resection.Conclusion Gross-total resection of temporal LGGs is a critically important factor in achieving seizure-freedom.

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