Letter: Clinical Experience with Glioblastoma Multiforme in Pediatric Patients

Dear Editor, Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an uncommon and highly malignant tumor in children (1). There are limited reports (mostly in the form of case series) about evolution and prognosis of this tumor in children (2). Therefore, optimal treatment of pediatric GBM is still challenging. The outcome of surgical, radiotherapy plus chemotherapy treatment is generally poor. In a previous report from Iran reporting 23 pediatric (younger than 20 years) GBM patients with a mean age of 15 years, the median survival rate was reported as 11 months. In 12 patients, only stereotactic biopsy was done, all received radiotherapy and some received chemotherapy. Only two patients survived more than 5 years (3). According to the children’s cancer study group (CCG) study, only 16% of children with GBM had 5-year progression-free survival (4).