[The oligodendroglioma: the value of histologic and genetic diagnosis in predicting sensitivity to chemotherapy]

Abstract

During the past decade, there has been increasing interest in oligodendrogliomas because of their sensitivity to chemotherapy. However, making the histopathological diagnosis suffers from subjectivity in many cases. Oligodendrogliomas possess a 'genetic signature' that correlates well with the sensitivity of the tumour to chemotherapy, namely, the loss of parts of chromosome arms 1p and 19q. Hence, in cases of oligodendroglial tumors with disputable histology, additional genotyping to reveal losses on 1p/19q has become a valuable addition for making decisions for treatment.