ABSTRACT
The incidence of primary brain tumors is increasing. Approximately 18,000 new cases were expected in the U.S. in 2003.1 High-grade gliomas (HGGs) including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) are the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). HGGs remain refractory to treatment and have dismal prognoses. The median survival for AA patients is approximately 2 years, the median is 9 months for GBM patients.2 Neurosurgeons remain intimately involved in the care of patients with HGG and with research into new treatments for this deadly disease. This stems in part from the fact that surgical resection continues to be an important treatment for HGG.3
