Population-based studies of brain tumor surgery: surgical outcome and prognostic factors

Neurosurgery is the cornerstone in the treatment of a majority of brain tumors. Surgery can sometimes cure or delay tumor progression. However, surgery is associated with risks, and adequate information about the anticipated peri- and postoperative course is important for informed consent. The identification of tumor markers in a preoperative setting is beneficial in lower-grade gliomas, a heterogeneous group in terms of biological behavior where molecular markers play an important role in diagnosis and treatment. We investigated the role of the non-invasive radiological marker T2-FLAIR mismatch by means of a population-based study. The mismatch sign is highly specific for IDH-mutated 1p/19q non-codeleted gliomas and thus useful in the preoperative setting. We examined how age affects lower-grade glioma treatment, in addition to short-term postoperative complications. Older patients (≥60 years) seem to tolerate neurosurgery compared with younger patients (