Radiation options for high-grade gliomas

Abstract

Radiotherapy has become a part of the standard treatment of high-grade gliomas. Studies have shown that high-dose radiation results in more effective tumor control but at the cost of radionecrosis and other radiation-related side effects. Despite advancing techniques in stereotaxy and precise radiotherapy delivery techniques, studies published for stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of high-grade gliomas have not been unanimous, with large trials showing no survival benefit compared with conventional conformal radiotherapy. New imaging modalities have been studied with the hope to improve accuracy in the planning of radiosurgical treatments. However, further large scale studies are needed to confirm these results.