Glioblastoma: Pathology and genetics

Glioblastomas are by far the most frequent and the most malignant tumors originating in the parenchyma of the central nervous system (CNS). In the revised 4th edition of the WHO classification of CNS tumors (published in 2016), classification of these gliomas has fundamentally changed as for the first time presence or absence of particular molecular aberrations is now part of their definition. This review discusses current insights in characteristics of the main molecular subgroups of glioblastoma and how the paradigm shift of a purely histologic towards a histomolecular classification of gliomas has impacted the clinical diagnosis of these tumors.