Postoperative radiotherapy of astrocytomas.
Astrocytomas account for the majority of primary brain tumors. Low-grade tumors are slowly growing tumors with relatively long overall survival. However, a high percentage of these tumors transform to more malignant, high-grade tumors. High-grade gliomas (anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastoma multiforme) have a poor prognosis. Treatment options are capable of prolonging the natural history of the disease, but the long-term survival is poor. This review discusses the different postoperative treatment options and the prognostic factors in low- and high-grade astrocytomas.
Herfarth
K K
KK
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. klaus@herfarth.de
Gutwein
S
S
Debus
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis