Abstract
BACKGROUND
There was no practical guideline for the management of patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumor in Korea for many years. Thus, the Korean Society for Neuro-Oncology (KSNO), a multidisciplinary academic society, started to prepare a guideline for CNS tumors from February 2018.
METHODS
The Working Group was composed of 35 multidisciplinary medical experts in Korea. References were identified through searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL using specific and sensitive keywords as well as combinations of keywords.
RESULTS
First, for the glioblastoma as WHO Grade IV Gliomas, the maximal safe resection if feasible is recommended. Patients aged ≤ 70 years with good performance should be treated by concurrent chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide followed by adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy (Stupp’s protocol) or standard brain radiotherapy alone. However, those with poor performance should be treated by hypofractionated brain radiotherapy (preferred) ± concurrent or adjuvant temozolomide or temozolomide alone (Level III) or supportive treatment. Second, for the WHO Grade III Gliomas, patients with anaplastic astrocytoma, IDH-mutant should be treated by standard brain radiotherapy followed by adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy, or Stupp’s protocol, or standard brain radiotherapy with neoadjuvant or adjuvant PCV chemotherapy, or Standard brain radiotherapy alone (Level III). However, those anaplastic astrocytoma, IDH-wildtype should be treated by the protocol for glioblastoma. Third, for the WHO Grade II Gliomas, patients with diffuse astrocytoma, IDH-wildtype without molecular feature of glioblastoma should be treated by standard brain radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy (Level III), or standard brain radiotherapy alone, or observation. And patients with diffuse astrocytoma IDH-mutant and oligodendroglioma (IDH-mutant and 1p/19q codeletion) should be treated according to the risk factors.
CONCLUSION
The recent KSNO’s guideline recommends that glioma should be treated according to the molecular as well as histological features. However, the practice can be limited by the National Insurance for Health in Korea.