Results from the large, four-year study of 560 patients newly diagnosed with malignant gliomas support the finding that resection is a strong factor in prognosis for survival. Gliomas are cancerous tumors that originate in glial cells, the supporting tissue for the brain's neurons. A patients' age, the grade of the tumor, which measures degree of malignancy, and the patients' overall physical health and activity level are also important factors for survival with good quality of life.
The observational study, called the Glioma Outcomes project, examined the overall clinical management of patients with malignant gliomas and the patients' satisfaction through their course of treatment. The study was led by physicians at the Department of Neurological Surgery at U.Va. Fifty-two clinical sites in North America participated, from academic medical centers to private practices. The results are published in the September issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery.
"The major advantage of this study is that it provides a contemporary benchmark analysis of patterns of care and outcomes for patients with malignant gliomas," said Dr. Edward R. Laws, Jr., professor of neurological surgery at U.Va. and the primary investigator for the project. "Survival data from this study can be helpful when considering the diagnosis and management of patients with brain tumors. However, it is important to note that aggressive resection of gliomas will not necessarily improve the prognosis for a specific patient. Some patients may have been precluded from a craniotomy, for instance, because they could not tolerate a general anesthetic," Law
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Contact: Bob Beard
reb8e@virginia.edu
434-982-4490
University of Virginia Health System
3-Oct-2003