A pragmatic clinicopathobiological grouping/staging system for gliomas: proposal of the Indian TNM subcommittee on brain tumors.
BACKGROUND
There is no universally accepted staging system for primary brain tumors wherein prognostication is mainly based on complex composite indices.


OBJECTIVE
To develop a simple, pragmatic, and widely applicable grouping/staging system for gliomas, the most common primary brain tumor.


METHODS
An expert neurooncology panel with representation from radiation oncology, neurosurgery, pathology, radiology, and medical oncology had several rounds of discussion on issues pertinent to brain tumor staging. The trade off was between the accuracy of prognostic categorization and a pragmatic, widely applicable approach.


CONCLUSIONS
The Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging was considered irrelevant for gliomas that seldom metastasize to lymphatics or outside the neuraxis. Instead, a 4-point staging/grouping system is proposed, using histological grade as the main prognostic variable and at least one stage migration based on other unfavorable features such as tumor location (brainstem); age (<5 years for all grades, >50 years for high-grade, and >40 years for low-grade gliomas); poor neurological performance status (NPS 2-4); multicentricity and/or gliomatosis; and adverse biological parameters (proliferative index, angiogenesis markers, apoptotic index, cytogenetic abnormalities, and molecular markers).


CONCLUSIONS
In absence of a grouping/staging system for primary brain tumors, prognostification is mostly based on complex composite indices. The proposed clinicopathobiological grouping/staging system for gliomas is a simple, pragmatic, and user-friendly tool with a potential to fulfill the objectives of staging classification.
Gupta
Tejpal
T
Department of Radiation Oncology, ACTREC/TMH, Mumbai, India.
Sarin
Rajiv
R
Jalali
Rakesh
R
Sharma
Suash
S
Kurkure
Purna
P
Goel
Atul
A
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005910:Glioma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D020407:Internet; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis