Extra Central Nervous System Metastases from Cerebral Glioblastoma Multiforme in Elderly Patients. Clinico-Pathological Remarks on our Series of Seven Cases and Critical Review of the Literature

Abstract

We found 128 cases of extra CNS metastases in the English literature. The main features of the patients of the previous reports and of those of the present series were analyzed. The main modalities of glioblastoma multiforme spread, the few theories about the rarity of metastasis, and the probable biological, histological and immunogenetic mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis are described. Although several studies have reported a poor outcome in elderly patients, they affirm that the treatment of those with a Karnofsky performance status >60 should be just as aggressive as in younger patients. This allows them to obtain a longer survival time and to also treat metastases, which are uncommon particularly in the elderly.