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CNS Tumors in Older Adults

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Geriatric Oncology

Abstract

Primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) comprise a broad variety of neoplasms with specific patterns of age distribution, pathological and molecular genetic features, and outcome. Major recent advances in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of many primary CNS tumors have resulted in a revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of brain tumors in 2016. Secondary CNS tumors are represented by brain and leptomeningeal metastases and are more common than primary CNS tumors. The most common primary CNS tumors, glioblastomas and meningiomas, are particularly common in the elderly. Notably glioblastomas in the elderly carry a very poor prognosis. Similarly, secondary CNS tumors are common in the elderly since they reflect the increasing risk of systemic cancer with advanced age. Multimodality treatment with its increasing complexity regarding drug interactions and comorbidity-associated risk of toxicity poses specific challenges in the elderly.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuro-oncology, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Lille, France

    Emilie Le Rhun

  2. Breast unit, Department of Medical Oncology, Oscar Lambret Center, Lille, France

    Emilie Le Rhun

  3. Inserm U-1192, Laboratoire de Protéomique, Réponse Inflammatoire, Spectrométrie de Masse (PRISM), Lille University, Lille, France

    Emilie Le Rhun

  4. Department of Neurology & Brain Tumor Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Michael Weller

  5. Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire (CHRU) de Lille, Lille, France

    Emilie Le Rhun

Authors
  1. Emilie Le Rhun
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  2. Michael Weller
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emilie Le Rhun .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Senior Adult Oncology Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA

    Martine Extermann

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Institute Curie, Hôpital René Huguenin, Saint-Cloud, France

    Etienne Brain

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Le Rhun, E., Weller, M. (2018). CNS Tumors in Older Adults. In: Extermann, M. (eds) Geriatric Oncology . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44870-1_38-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44870-1_38-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-44870-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-44870-1

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