Long-term survival in a patient with supratentorial glioblastoma: Clinical considerations

Glioblastoma, a malignant tumor of neuroepithelial origin, is relatively uncommon 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 girl admitted (25\6\1982) because one month earlier she had begun to present headache and diplopia. Brain CT scan showed a right frontal tumor. An operation completely excising the visible tumor was performed. Histologic examination showed that the tumor was a glioblastoma multiforme.The patient underwent 52 Gy of external beam radiotherapy to the enhancing tumor mass plus 3-cm border and chemoterapy with BCNU.14.7 years after treatment (19\3\1997) the patient presents neither neurological deficits nor radiological relapse.We confirm that younger age, the one immutable prognostic factor, supports a particularly aggressive approach to the treatment of glioblastomas.