Intraoperative glioblastoma surgery-current challenges and clinical trials: An update

Abstract

Surgical excision is an important part of the multimodal therapy strategy for patients with glioblastoma, a very aggressive and invasive brain tumor. While major advances in surgical methods and technology have been accomplished, numerous hurdles remain in the field of glioblastoma surgery. The purpose of this literature review is to offer a thorough overview of the current challenges in glioblastoma surgery. We reviewed the difficulties associated with tumor identification and visualization, resection extent, neurological function preservation, tumor margin evaluation, and inclusion of sophisticated imaging and navigation technology. Understanding and resolving these challenges is critical in order to improve surgical results and, ultimately, patient survival.

Keywords

• Glioblastoma
• Infiltrative tumor
• Awake craniotomy
• Evoked potentials
• Neuroimaging
• Navigation