Surgical management of malignant brain tumors

Data are presented to support the contention that aggressive surgical management of malignant brain tumors, both primary and metastatic, is valuable in terms of quality and length of survival. Metastatic brain tumors must be solitary in a patient whose primary is either asymptomatic or under good control to justify surgical removal. Primary malignant gliomas are surgical candidates when the core of tumor can be excised, thus increasing survival after radiation and chemotherapy.