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Brain tumors and the geriatric patient
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|August 1, 1982
Summary
Brain tumor prognosis, including glioblastoma, is strongly linked to patient age. Elderly patients face worse outcomes for metastatic brain tumors, highlighting the need for thorough diagnosis in older individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Clinical Epidemiology
Background:
- Primary and metastatic brain tumors show age-dependent incidence and prognosis.
- Glioblastomas and other tumors like meningiomas and acoustic Schwannomas increase in incidence with age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of age on brain tumor prognosis and treatment outcomes.
- To emphasize the importance of accurate diagnosis in elderly patients with suspected neurological decline.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 99 patients with glioblastoma multiforme treated with aggressive multimodality therapy.
- Comparison of survival probabilities and tumor characteristics (Grade 4 astrocytomas) between elderly (>65) and younger (<40) patient groups.
- Review of incidence and prognosis of metastatic brain tumors in relation to age.
Main Results:
- Age is the most significant prognostic variable in glioblastoma.
- Patients over 65 had calculated 6- and 12-month survival probabilities of 0.65 and 0.31, respectively.
- Elderly patients with metastatic brain tumors have a uniformly worse prognosis compared to younger patients.
Conclusions:
- Aggressive treatment for glioblastoma is feasible in older patients with acceptable operative mortality.
- The prognostic impact of age on brain tumors necessitates careful diagnostic evaluation in the elderly.
- Clinical symptoms in the elderly should not be prematurely attributed to aging or dementia without excluding treatable intracranial tumors.