Microcomputer-based technique for 3-D reconstruction and volume measurement of computed tomographic images. Comparison of geometric and planimetry post-operative tumor volume effects on patient survival

The relationship between brain tumor size and survival has been studied sin ce the advent of CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, all publ ished studies are based on tumor sizes measured by the less accurate geomet ric method, with results that are inconsistent. For example, the influence of the extent of tumor resection on patient survival has been debated. Jels ma and Bucy advocated extensive resection based on their analysis of patien ts with glioblastoma multiforme, however, Green et al. produced conflicting results, showing that the extent of resection was not statistically signif icant when all variables were considered simultaneously. The present study investigates whether or not the study inconsistency is largely due to the u se of the less accurate geometric tumor volume measurement. The study demon strates that the geometric tumor volume and the planimetry tumor volume hav e significantly different prognostic effects. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd . All rights reserved.