Practice-changing developments in neuro-oncology: embracing heterogeneity

Neuro-oncology has made fundamental progress during the past two decades. Embracing high-throughput ‘omics’ strategies, we have dramatically increased our knowledge on the development and on therapeutic vulnerabilities of brain tumors, including gliomas, brain metastases, medulloblastomas and primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas. This knowledge has enabled defining patient subgroups particularly benefitting from approved treatments such as irradiation and alkylating chemotherapy based on high-precision molecularly based stratification, thereby improving treatment outcome and avoiding treatment-related side effects. While this knowledge has not yet translated into the approval of novel therapeutic modalities, advancements in molecular diagnostics, imaging, and therapy development that have already resulted in a number of major practice-changing developments improving outcome of patients with brain tumors