Extent of tumor resection and survival in pedriatic patients with high-grade gliomas: systematic review and meta-analysis

Pediatric patients with high-grade gliomas have a poor prognosis. The association among the extent of resection, tumor location, and survival in these patients is not clear. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 studies, involving 1387 unique pediatric patients with high-grade gliomas, found that gross total resection was independently associated with better overall survival compared with subtotal resection and biopsy, especially in patients with hemispheric and infratentorial tumors. The authors conclude that maximal safe resection should be performed when feasible to treat high-grade gliomas in pediatric patients.