Recent advancements in multimodality treatment of gliomas

Abstract

Gliomas account for the vast majority of malignant adult brain tumors. Even though tremendous effort has been made to optimize treatment of patients with high-grade glioma, the prognosis remains poor, especially for patients with glioblastoma. The dismal prognosis conferred by these tumors is in part caused by the tendency to diffusely infiltrate into neighboring brain tissue, but also by the inherent resistance of these tumors to both chemotherapy and radiation. This article reviews the recent advancements in multimodality treatment of patients with gliomas, both in the primary and recurrent setting, with an emphasis on the emerging targeted therapies. Moreover, the external beam radiotherapy options, including intensity modulated radiotherapy and particle (proton and carbon ion) radiotherapy are reviewed.