Glioma in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
This review updates available data on the management of gliomas in the elderly.


RESULTS
Prospective randomized studies have recently established the benefit of radiotherapy and the validity of an accelerated course of irradiation in older patients with malignant gliomas.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of gliomas is increasing in the elderly population. Unfortunately, increasing age is one of the most consistent negative prognostic factors in gliomas and the optimal management of this population remains unsettled since patients aged 65 years or more are usually excluded from clinical trials. The previous nihilistic approach is progressively changing towards more active strategies with recent evidence that older patients (70-80 years) may benefit from surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. Initial performance status, quality of life, and concomitant pathologies are important factors to consider before treatment onset. In the future, it will be necessary to design specific schedules of treatment in this population.
Laigle-Donadey
Florence
F
Service de Neurologie Mazarin, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière - Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France. florence.laigle-donadey@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
Delattre
Jean-Yves
JY
D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D005910:Glioma / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans