This page covers the initial management approach for adults aged 18 years or older presenting with a newly diagnosed intracranial ependymoma of WHO grade II or III.
Adult patients (age 18 or older) with a newly diagnosed intracranial WHO grade II or III ependymoma. Grade and extent of achievable resection are central to management planning.
Surgery is the first and crucial step of standard treatment, aimed at obtaining a histological diagnosis. The primary surgical objective is achieving the most complete resection possible. Where the outcome of the initial surgery is not satisfactory, further surgical intervention may be warranted. What follows surgery — and how subsequent steps are determined — is detailed in the full protocol.
The primary surgical target is gross total resection, defined as no residual disease on postcontrast T1- and T2-weighted MRI performed at 3 months postoperatively.