Glioma and Other Neuroepithelial Neoplasms

As a group, neuroepithelial neoplasms are uncommon cancers but by no means rare ones. Primary central nervous system neoplasms account for 1.3% of all cancers and are about one-fifth as common as metastatic neoplasms involving the central nervous system. The frequency with which various neuroepithelial neoplasms are encountered changes considerably with age. This chapter will focus predominantly on adult gliomas. However, many of the rare forms occur more frequently in the pediatric population. In recent years, the classification of neuroepithelial neoplasms has evolved considerably. Aside from the astrocytic neoplasms (i.e. glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, and low-grade astrocytoma) and the oligodendrogliomas, the remainder of the neuroepithelial neoplasms constitute rare entities. Most of the treatment plans used for the rarer forms of glioma are derived from the knowledge of treatment for the more common forms, and some of the recent developments regarding the treatment of those neoplasms will be reviewed.