Long-term survival in a patient with supratentorial glioblastoma: clinicalconsiderations

Glioblastoma, a malignant tumor of neuroepithelial origin, is relatively un common in childhood, during which it accounts for 7%-9% of brain tumors. A few patients (about 3%) live more than 5 years. We report a 13-year-old gir l who was admitted because one month earlier she had begun to present heada che and diplopia. Brain computed tomography (CT) showed a right frontal tum or. At operation, complete excision of the visible tumor was performed. His tologic examination showed that the tumor was a glioblastoma multiforme. Th e patient underwent 52 Gy of external beam radiotherapy to the enhancing tu mor mass plus 3-cm border, and chemotherapy with nitrosourea (BCNU). Fourte en years, 9 months later, the patient presents neither neurological deficit s nor radiological relapse. We confirm that younger age, the one immutable prognostic factor, supports a particularly aggressive approach to the treat ment of glioblastomas.