The Rise and Fall of "Biopsy and Radiate": A History of Surgical Nihilism in Glioma Treatment

Many neurosurgeons take a nihilistic approach to surgical treatment of gliomas, stating the inability to achieve a cure. Where this idea comes from is somewhat nebulous to most neurosurgeons. A review of the scientific studies supporting the commonly held beliefs about gliomas shows that these ideas regarding the surgical treatment of gliomas are based on overgeneralizations of data from older studies. One should avoid the temptation to apply them to the greater concept of what gliomas are, how they behave, and what should be done, but rather we should continue to scientifically evaluate the role of surgical resection in glioma treatment.