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How do you manage a glioblastoma of the brainstem/upper cervical spinal cord?

What is your preferred dose/fractionation? What constraints do you utilize for the brainstem and cord?
2 Answers
Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Radiation Oncology · University of Colorado School of Medicine
Answered on · Updated on

It used to be that we didn’t get biopsies in this location, and we treated suspected astrocytic tumors in the brainstem/upper spinal cord to 54 Gy in 30 fractions without tissue. The outcome was never good. But now we generally have at least a stereotactic biopsy. The outcome is still not good of co...

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Mednet Member
Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Radiation Oncology · UC San Diego
Answered on

I also agree with @Dr. First Last that it makes little sense to overemphasize low-risk toxicity when you are faced with an aggressive, unresectable tumor. Like @Dr. First Last, I think smaller volumes are fine in this situation. It is worth remembering that the ASTRO guideline lists a range of accep...

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