Cerebellar glioblastoma in an NF1 patient. Is it surgical debulking really necessary?

Neurofibromatosis type 1 is an autosomal dominant tumour syndrome with an increased risk of developing central nervous system neoplasms, mostly benign low-grade gliomas involving the optic pathway and the brainstem. High-grade astrocytomas or glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are rare. Cerebellar GBMs are rarer still, only seven cases NF1 patients have been reported We report a case of a cerebellar GBM in a 25-year-old male with NF1 who survived 18 months from the initial diagnosis without surgical debulking but only chemo and radiotherapy. A literature review found that the best outcomes were achieved in NF1 patients who didn't undergo gross surgical resection. Possible reasons and future directions are discussed.