Brain tumors are second only to stroke as the leading cause of death from a neurological disorder. Primary brain tumors have an annual incidence of 10 per 100,000 with an estimated 17,500 new cases in the United States this year. There are also 80,000 to 100,000 new metastatic brain tumors each year. The case:fatatlity ratio is high with more than 12,000 Americans expected to die from primary brain tumors in 1993; almost double the number of annual deaths from Hodgkin's disease.

Nearly one-half of primary brain tumors are glial neoplasms. These tumors are derived from astrocytes, ependymal cells, and oligodendroglia. The vast majority of gliomas are astrocytomas and these tumors have growth characteristics that range from indolent, low-grade lesions to highly malignant glioblastomas. It is generally accepted that this pathological continuum is also true over time within individual patients and can be seen in the case study to be discussed later.

 

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