Standard therapy for high grade glioma is a topic that is evolving, timely, and relevant. Guest Editors Isaac Yang, MD and Seunggu Han, MD have assembled a group of experts to highlight the latest updates on various forms of management of high grade glioma. Some of the articles included in this issue focus on Extent of Resection for Glioblastoma; Role of adjuvant radiation therapy; Survival benefit of the Temozolomide protocol; Alternative chemotherapeutic agents; The role of avastin; Radiology; Pseuodprogression and Treatment effect; Pathology; Medical Management; Management of insular gliomas; Use of motor mapping; GBM treatment with clinical trials for surgical resection; Clinical trials with immunotherapy; Clinical trials for small molecule inhibitors; Future role of CED for GBM treatment; Application of a vault nanoparticle therapy for GBM therapy; Management of high grade gliomas in pediatric populations; Targeting Glioma Stem Like Cells with a focus on CD 133; and Potential Role for STAT3 inhibitors in glioblastoma.

Standard therapy for high grade glioma is a topic that is evolving, timely, and relevant. Guest Editors Isaac Yang, MD and Seunggu Han, MD have assembled a group of experts on management of high grade glioma. Some of the articles in this issue include: Use of language mapping to aid resection of eloquent gliomas; Clinical trials with immunotherapy; Clinical trials for small molecule inhibitors; Nanotechnology potential applications for GBM therapy; High Grade Gliomas in children; Modern Advances in Brain Tumor Treatments; Molecular pathways of Avastin interactions for the treatment of glioblastoma; and Quality of Life and Outcomes in Glioblastoma management.

This is truly an exciting time in the field of neuro-oncology, particularly in the area of hi- grade gliomas. The management of patients with high-grade gliomas has historically been one of the most challenging and disheartening fields in medicine, where failure is the rule and longevity is the exception. The jaded often state that despite purported advances in surgical and radiotherapeutic techniques and a myriad of clinical trials of medical therapies, the s- vival statistics for glioblastoma have not changed in the last three decades. The nihilism associated with these tumors is such that some practitioners still advise against treatment or even biopsy, recommending palliative care with the diagnosis based only on history and an MRI scan. If the current state-of-the-art in the diagnosis and management of high-grade gliomas was truly so bleak, there would be no reason to compile and publish a monograph on the subject. The fact is that we have recently entered an era where real progress is being made in our understanding and treatment of high-grade gliomas that is directly benefiting some patients. We are slowly but surely chipping away at this problem. One approach has exploited correlations between particular molecular markers and therapeutic response. The first such “breakthrough” in high-grade glioma was the observation that loss of chromosomes 1p and 19q uniformly predict chemosensitivity in anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (1).

Standard therapy for high grade glioma is a topic that is evolving, timely, and relevant. Guest Editors Isaac Yang, MD and Seunggu Han, MD have assembled a group of experts to highlight the latest updates on various forms of management of high grade glioma. Some of the articles included in this issue focus on Extent of Resection for Glioblastoma; Role of adjuvant radiation therapy; Survival benefit of the Temozolomide protocol; Alternative chemotherapeutic agents; The role of avastin; Radiology; Pseuodprogression and Treatment effect; Pathology; Medical Management; Management of insular gliomas; Use of motor mapping; GBM treatment with clinical trials for surgical resection; Clinical trials with immunotherapy; Clinical trials for small molecule inhibitors; Future role of CED for GBM treatment; Application of a vault nanoparticle therapy for GBM therapy; Management of high grade gliomas in pediatric populations; Targeting Glioma Stem Like Cells with a focus on CD 133; and Potential Role for STAT3 inhibitors in glioblastoma.

New Techniques for Management of 'Inoperable' Gliomas radically challenges the assumption that certain gliomas cannot be removed with modern techniques, contesting stereotypical thinking and establishing new paradigms in the field. Gliomas are primary brain tumors which are often fatal. Recent data has demonstrated that despite the fact that surgery cannot cure gliomas, patient survival is substantially improved by removing as much of the tumor as possible. This fact has raised the imperative that neurologists try to improve techniques to bring surgical resection to as many patients as possible. This book brings new insights and technologies to the forefront, giving hope to patients. Provides the first comprehensive book to discuss techniques for removing gliomas that are traditionally deemed ‘inoperable’ Presents a great reference tool that challenges stereotypical thinking by offering techniques by innovative surgeons Includes chapters that are organized by different glioma types and surgery/techniques

This book, now in its second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of current re-irradiation strategies, with detailed discussion of re-irradiation methods, technical aspects, the role of combined therapy with anticancer drugs and hyperthermia, and normal tissue tolerance. In addition, disease specific chapters document recent clinical results and future research directions. All chapters from the first edition have been revised and updated to take account of the latest developments and research findings, including those from prospective studies. Due attention is paid to the exciting developments in the fields of proton irradiation and frameless image-guided ablative radiotherapy. The book documents fully how refined combined modality approaches and significant technical advances in radiation treatment planning and delivery have facilitated the re-irradiation of previously exposed volumes, allowing both palliative and curative approaches to be pursued at various disease sites. Professionals involved in radiation treatment planning and multimodal oncology treatment will find it to be an invaluable aid in understanding the benefits and limitations of re-irradiation and in designing prospective trials.