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Malignant gliomas in older adults with poor prognostic signs. Getting nowhere, and taking a long time to do it.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Halperin, EC
Published in: Oncology (Williston Park)
March 1995

The median survival time of adults with supratentorial malignant glioma treated in clinical studies with surgery, 6 weeks of external-beam radiotherapy, and carmustine (BiCNU) is approximately 1 year. This poor survival time is almost certainly optimistic, since only a select subgroup of patients end up participating in clinical trials--ie, those with a better prognosis. For elderly patients and/or those with poor functional status, median survival time ranges from 16 to 40 weeks. A regimen of surgery plus 2 to 3 weeks of radiotherapy appears to achieve a survival duration equivalent to that of long courses of chemoradiotherapy at less cost in time and money, and perhaps with less caregiver stress. Since the incidence of brain tumors in the elderly is rising and the size of the elderly population is increasing, it is appropriate to investigate the role of less aggressive therapy for what will be a growing number of malignant glioma patients with a poor prognosis.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Oncology (Williston Park)

ISSN

0890-9091

Publication Date

March 1995

Volume

9

Issue

3

Start / End Page

229 / 234

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Survival Rate
  • Supratentorial Neoplasms
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prognosis
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Glioma
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Halperin, E. C. “Malignant gliomas in older adults with poor prognostic signs. Getting nowhere, and taking a long time to do it.Oncology (Williston Park) 9, no. 3 (March 1995): 229–34.
Halperin, E. C. “Malignant gliomas in older adults with poor prognostic signs. Getting nowhere, and taking a long time to do it.Oncology (Williston Park), vol. 9, no. 3, Mar. 1995, pp. 229–34.

Published In

Oncology (Williston Park)

ISSN

0890-9091

Publication Date

March 1995

Volume

9

Issue

3

Start / End Page

229 / 234

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Survival Rate
  • Supratentorial Neoplasms
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prognosis
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Glioma