Survival and quality of life analysis in glioblastoma multiforme with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a retrospective study

Abstract

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary intracranial tumor. Despite modern therapies, it is still fatal with tremendously poor prognosis with a median survival of 14 months. Even though mean survival and progression-free survival (PFS) are considered as primary response measure, it is important to assess the effects of therapies on disease burden and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Changes in quality of life (QoL) indicates the impact of cytotoxic therapy and may aid in defining response in the absence of quantifiable endpoints like tumor regression.The objective was to assess 2-year survival and quality of life in GBM patients who underwent primary surgery followed by chemo-radiotherapy and 6-month adjuvant chemotherapy with temozolomide. Materials and methods:Single-institution retrospective study of 60 patients of GBM from 2015 to 2017. Data regarding patient factors, disease factors, and treatment factors were collected and survival was calculated.Results: 60 patients with GBM were analyzed, male to female ratio was 1.6:1.Patients most commonly presented with headache. Most common tumour site is the frontal lobe. The median overall survival (OS) was 10 months. The 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 30% and 6.7%, respectively. Compared to before surgery patients have showed improved emotional, social and role functioning in Post radiotherapy period. There was a decrease in symptoms like pain, headache and seizures.Conclusions: OS and QoL in GBM patients remains poor despite constant research and studies. Maximum safe resection followed by adjuvant temozolomide has shown improvement in OS. Post-surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy patients have shown a decrease in symptoms and better QoL.

Overview of prognostic factors in adult glioma; a 10-year experience at a single institution

“…Considering most GBM patients pass away from the illness in under a year and almost none survive long-term, GBM tumors have attracted a lot of interest in the research community 5 . Even after extensive surgery, concomitant radiation, adjuvant TMZ, and rigorous treatment, the median survival period for adult patients is still only around ten months, which may get up to 14 months with combination treatment and radiation; just 3-5% of patients live longer than three to five years after diagnosis [6][7][8] . In addition to patient characteristics like age and gender, biological variables such as O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status, 1p/19q deletion, and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene mutation status may impact disease susceptibility and progression 9 , which makes predicting GBM survival a challenging task.…”

Machine learning recognises senescence in glioblastoma and discovers senescence-inducing compounds

“…Senescent cells and nuclei often display specific morphological phenotypes [12,13,14,15]. Primary glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of primary brain cancer in adults, with a median survival time of 15 months [16,17]. The treatment for GBM is surgical resection followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy [18].…”

Biological Implications and Functional Significance of Transglutaminase Type 2 in Nervous System Tumors

“…Although brain and other CNS tumors are considered rare cancer types, their overall incidence has increased [26,27]. Malignant brain cancers constitute approximately 30% of the total but are responsible for the majority of the deaths; among them, glioblastoma (GBM) represents the most common and aggressive form of primary intracranial tumors with a median survival of approximately 12 months [28]. Therefore, a better understanding of the biochemical and molecular basis of brain tumors pathogenesis might open a new perspective in novel therapeutic approaches.…”