Glioblastoma in irradiated elderly patients: two case reports

We report our experience with two elderly patients with histologically proven diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme who were treated 25 and 18 years earlier for tinea capitis and scalp cutaneous hemangioma respectively in the same areas where the glioblastoma multiforme had grown. These pathologies were benign, and nowadays can be treated with alternative approaches rather than radiotherapy. Radiotherapeutic treatment should be carefully considered before using it in young patients with benign pathologies who have a long life expectancy and subsequently a higher risk of developing radio-induced malignant lesions. Radio-induced gliomas are typical of patients younger than the ones with "spontaneous" glioblastomas; however, the subjects of our study were elderly (78 and 72 years).