Delayed initiation of radiotherapy for glioblastoma: how important is it to push to the front (or the back) of the line?

Demographic variations and time to initiation of adjunct treatment following surgical resection of anaplastic astrocytoma in the United States: a National Cancer Database analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The aim of this study was to analyze the trends, demographic differences in the type and time to initiation (TTI) of adjunct treatment AT following surgery for anaplastic astrocytoma (AA).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients diagnosed with AA from 2004 to 2016. Cox proportional hazards and modeling was used to determine factors influencing survival, including the impact of time to initiation (TTI) of adjuvant therapy.

RESULTS

Overall, 5890 patients were identified from the database. The use of combined RT + CT temporally increased from 66.3% (2004-2007) to 79% (2014-2016), p < 0001. Patients more likely to receive no treatment following surgical resection included elderly (> 60 years old), hispanic patients, those with either no or government insurance, those living > 20 miles from the cancer facility, those treated at low volume centers (< 2 cases/year). AT was received following surgical resection within 0-4 weeks, 4.1-8 weeks, and > 8 weeks in 41%, 48%, and 3%, respectively. Compared to patients who received RT + CT, patients were likely to receive RT only as AT either at 4-8 weeks or > 8 weeks after the surgical procedure. Patients who received AT within 0-4 weeks had the 3-year OS of 46% compared to 56.7% for patients who received treatment at 4.1-8 weeks.

CONCLUSION

We found significant variation in the type and timing of adjunct treatment following surgical resection of AA in the United States. A considerable number of patients (15%) received no AT following surgery.

Association of perioperative adverse events with subsequent therapy and overall survival in patients with WHO grade III and IV gliomas

Background

Maximum safe resection followed by chemoradiotherapy as current standard of care for WHO grade III and IV gliomas can be influenced by the occurrence of perioperative adverse events (AE). The aim of this study was to determine the association of AE with the timing and choice of subsequent treatments as well as with overall survival (OS).

Methods

Prospectively collected data of 283 adult patients undergoing surgery for WHO grade III and IV gliomas at the University Hospital Zurich between January 2013 and June 2017 were analyzed. We assessed basic patient characteristics, KPS, extent of resection, and WHO grade, and we classified AE as well as modality, timing of subsequent treatment (delay, interruption, or non-initiation), and OS.

Results

In 117 patients (41%), an AE was documented between surgery and the 3-month follow-up. There was a significant association of AE with an increased time to initiation of subsequent therapy (p = 0.005) and a higher rate of interruption (p < 0.001) or non-initiation (p < 0.001). AE grades correlated with time to initiation of subsequent therapy (p = 0.038). AEs were associated with shorter OS in univariate analysis (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

AEs are associated with delayed and/or altered subsequent therapy and can therefore limit OS. These data emphasize the importance of safety within the maximum-safe-resection concept.

Metabolic management of microenvironment acidity in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM), similar to most cancers, is dependent on fermentation metabolism for the synthesis of biomass and energy (ATP) regardless of the cellular or genetic heterogeneity seen within the tumor. The transition from respiration to fermentation arises from the documented defects in the number, the structure, and the function of mitochondria and mitochondrial-associated membranes in GBM tissue. Glucose and glutamine are the major fermentable fuels that drive GBM growth. The major waste products of GBM cell fermentation (lactic acid, glutamic acid, and succinic acid) will acidify the microenvironment and are largely responsible for drug resistance, enhanced invasion, immunosuppression, and metastasis. Besides surgical debulking, therapies used for GBM management (radiation, chemotherapy, and steroids) enhance microenvironment acidification and, although often providing a time-limited disease control, will thus favor tumor recurrence and complications. The simultaneous restriction of glucose and glutamine, while elevating non-fermentable, anti-inflammatory ketone bodies, can help restore the pH balance of the microenvironment while, at the same time, providing a non-toxic therapeutic strategy for killing most of the neoplastic cells.

Radiation guidelines for gliomas

Gliomas are the most frequent primary brain tumour. The proximity of organs at risk, the infiltrating nature, and the radioresistance of gliomas have to be taken into account in the choice of prescribed dose and technique of radiotherapy. The management of glioma patients is based on clinical factors (age, KPS) and tumour characteristics (histology, molecular biology, tumour location), and strongly depends on available and associated treatments, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The knowledge of molecular biomarkers is currently essential, they are increasingly evolving as additional factors that facilitate diagnostics and therapeutic decision-making. We present the update of the recommendations of the French society for radiation oncology on the indications and the technical procedures for performing radiation therapy in patients with gliomas.

[Epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary features of patients with glioblastoma: series of cases managed in the Department of Hematology-Oncology at the Mohammed VI University Hospital Center in Marrakech in 2016 and 2017]

Glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant brain tumour. Despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic treatments, it is still associated with poor outcome The purpose of this study of cases is to describe the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary features of patients with glioblastoma admitted to the Department of Hematology-Oncology (DHO) in Marrakech in 2016 and 2017. We conducted a literature review of epidemiological, clinical, radiological, anatomopathological, therapeutic and evolutionary data from 40 patients. Glioblastoma accounted for 47.6% of treated intracranial tumours. The average age of patients was 52.4±12.3 years. Functional impotence and signs of intracranial hypertension were the main symptoms. Tumours mainly occurred in the parietal region (44%) and were large (57.5%). Aphasia was related to tumour size (p=0.042). Nine cases had glioblastomas-IDH1-wild and one case had glioblastoma-IDH1-mutant. On admission, patients had poor performance-status. This was due to a prolonged time between surgery and DHO admission (p= 0.034). Patients with sensory impairments were older (62.5±3 years) than those without sensory impairments (51.2±12 years) (p=0,045). In-patient women received chemoradiotherapy (1.5±1 month) earlier than men (2.3±1.2 months) (p=0.03). Survival was 13.6±5.3 months; it was unrelated to the time to surgery (p=0.076), the time to DHO (p=0.058), and the time to chemoradiotherapy (p=0.073). The epidemiological, clinical, radiological and evolutionary features of our sample were comparable to literature data. The molecular profiling was not systematically realized. Despite prolonged treatment times, no link to survival was detected.

Timing of glioblastoma surgery and patient outcomes: a multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

The impact of time-to-surgery on clinical outcome for patients with glioblastoma has not been determined. Any delay in treatment is perceived as detrimental, but guidelines do not specify acceptable timings. In this study, we relate the time to glioblastoma surgery with the extent of resection and residual tumor volume, performance change, and survival, and we explore the identification of patients for urgent surgery.

METHODS

Adults with first-time surgery in 2012-2013 treated by 12 neuro-oncological teams were included in this study. We defined time-to-surgery as the number of days between the diagnostic MR scan and surgery. The relation between time-to-surgery and patient and tumor characteristics was explored in time-to-event analysis and proportional hazard models. Outcome according to time-to-surgery was analyzed by volumetric measurements, changes in performance status, and survival analysis with patient and tumor characteristics as modifiers.

RESULTS

Included were 1033 patients of whom 729 had a resection and 304 a biopsy. The overall median time-to-surgery was 13 days. Surgery was within 3 days for 235 (23%) patients, and within a month for 889 (86%). The median volumetric doubling time was 22 days. Lower performance status (hazard ratio [HR] 0.942, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.893-0.994) and larger tumor volume (HR 1.012, 95% CI 1.010-1.014) were independently associated with a shorter time-to-surgery. Extent of resection, residual tumor volume, postoperative performance change, and overall survival were not associated with time-to-surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

With current decision-making for urgent surgery in selected patients with glioblastoma and surgery typically within 1 month, we found equal extent of resection, residual tumor volume, performance status, and survival after longer times-to-surgery.

Adjuvant effect of low-carbohydrate diet on outcomes of patients with recurrent glioblastoma under intranasal perillyl alcohol therapy

BACKGROUND

Standard of care for glioblastoma (GB), consisting of cytotoxic chemotherapy, steroids, and high-dose radiation, induces changes in the tumor microenvironment through its effects on glucose availability, which is a determinant for tumor progression (TP). Low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) reduces the glucose levels needed to drive the Warburg effect.

METHODS

To investigate LCD's effect on GB therapy, we have begun a clinical trial using LCD as an addition to intranasal perillyl alcohol (POH) for recurrent GB (rGB) patients. This study involved 29 individuals and evaluated, over a period of 1 year, the adjuvant effect of LCD associated with POH therapy in terms of toxicity, extent of peritumoral edema, reduced corticosteroid use, seizure frequency, and overall survival. POH group (n = 14) received solely intranasal POH without specific diet regimen, whereas POH/LCD group (n = 15) received intranasal POH in combination with nutritional intervention. Patients' assessment was based on clinical reviews and magnetic resonance data.

RESULTS

In the 1-year follow-up, the POH/LCD group showed a 4.4-fold decrease in the proportion of patients who needed treatment with corticosteroids, as well as a reduction in tumor size and peritumoral edema, as compared to the POH group. While 75% of patients undergoing POH treatment experienced seizures, this fraction was reduced to 56% in the POH/LCD group. A 2.07-fold increase in the proportion of patients with stable disease, along with a 2.8-fold decrease in the proportion of patients with TP, was seen in the POH/LCD group.

CONCLUSION

The results presented in this study show that the LCD associated with intranasal POH therapy may represent a viable option as adjunctive therapy for rGB to improve survival without compromising patients' quality of life. Prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings and validate the efficacy of this novel therapeutic strategy.

Dual MGMT inactivation by promoter hypermethylation and loss of the long arm of chromosome 10 in glioblastoma

Background

Epigenetic inactivation of O6‐methylguanine‐methyltransferase (MGMT) gene by methylation of its promoter is predictive of Temozolomid (TMZ) response in glioblastoma (GBM). MGMT is located on chromosome 10q26 and the loss of chromosome 10q is observed in 70% of GBMs. In this study, we assessed the hypothesis that the dual inactivation of MGMT, by hypermethylation of MGMT promoter and by loss the long arm of chromosome 10 (10q), may confer greater sensitivity to TMZ.

Methods

A total of 149 tumor samples from patients diagnosed with GBM based on the WHO 2016 classification were included in this retrospective study between November 2016 and December 2018. Methylation status of MGMT promoter was evaluated by pyrosequencing and status of chromosome 10q was assessed by array comparative genomic hybridization.

Results

Glioblastoma patients with chromosome 10q loss associated with hypermethylation of MGMT promoter had significantly longer overall survival (OS) (P = .0024) and progression‐free survival (PFS) (P = .031). Indeed, median OS of patients with dual inactivation of MGMT was 21.5 months compared to 12 months and 8.1 months for groups with single MGMT inactivation by hypermethylation and by 10q loss, respectively. The group with no MGMT inactivation had 9.5 months OS. Moreover, all long‐term survivors with persistent response to TMZ treatment (OS ≥ 30 months) displayed dual inactivation of MGMT.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that the molecular subgroup characterized by the dual inactivation of MGMT receives greater benefit from TMZ treatment. The results of our study may be of immediate clinical interest since chromosome 10q status and methylation of MGMT promoter are commonly determined in routine practice.

Survival impact of the time gap between surgery and chemo-radiotherapy in Glioblastoma patients

Glioblastoma treatment protocol includes chemo-radiation (CRT) after maximal safe resection. However, the recommended time-gap between surgery and CRT is unclear, most trials protocol required an interval of less than 6 weeks. In the current study we evaluated the association of the time-gap between surgery and CRT to overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) in a tertiary center. After ethics committee approval, a retrospective study was conducted. Data was collected from the medical records of consecutive glioblastoma patients treated between 2005–2014. Parameters of interest included: background characteristics of patients, treatment dates and type of treatment, treatment interruptions and survival. Only patients who were diagnosed with WHO IV, underwent surgical resection (any type), and treated with postoperative CRT were included. For the analysis, patients were divided into 3 groups according to the time gap from surgery to CRT: <4 weeks, 4–6 weeks and >6 weeks. Overall survival and PFS were investigated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model. Out of 465 patients, 204 were included. Median age was 60 years (range: 23–79 years) and 61.7% male vs. 38.3% female. There was a significant difference in OS (HR = 0.49, p-value = 0.002, 95% CI: 0.32–0.78) and PFS (HR = 0.51, p-value = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.33–0.79) in the group who was treated with CRT 6 weeks or more after surgery, compared with the other two groups tested. In our study, 6 weeks or more time-gap (median of 8 weeks) between surgery and CRT was associated with better OS and PFS among newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients. Our results are probably subjected to unaccounted biases of a retrospective study, and that CRT in this patient population is an effective therapy that overcomes the potential harm of initiating therapy later than 6 weeks. Our current approach is to initiate CRT within 6 weeks after surgery, similar to what is recommended in the literature, but the data from this study provide us with information that no major harms was done in patients who were delayed.

Optimal timing of chemoradiotherapy after surgical resection of glioblastoma: Stratification by validated prognostic classification

BACKGROUND

Previous studies examining the time to initiate chemoradiation (CRT) after surgical resection of glioblastoma have been conflicting. To better define the effect that the timing of adjuvant treatment may have on outcomes, the authors examined patients within the National Cancer Database (NCDB) stratified by a validated prognostic classification system.

METHODS

Patients with glioblastoma in the NCDB who underwent surgery and CRT from 2004 through 2013 were analyzed. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class (III, IV, V) was extrapolated for the cohort. Time intervals were grouped weekly, with weeks 4 to 5 serving as the reference category for analyses. Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank testing, and multivariate (MVA) Cox proportional hazards regression were performed.

RESULTS

In total, 30,414 patients were included. RPA classes III, IV, and V contained 5250, 20,855, and 4309 patients, respectively. On MVA, no time point after week 5 was associated with a change in overall survival for the entire cohort or for any RPA class subgroup. The periods of weeks 0 to 1 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.02-1.36), >1 to 2 (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.16-1.31), and >2 to 3 (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.15) demonstrated slightly worse overall survival (all P < .03). The detriment to early initiation was consistent across each RPA class subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

The current data provide insight into the optimal timing of CRT in patients with glioblastoma and describe RPA class-specific outcomes. In general, short delays beyond 5 weeks did not negatively affect outcomes, whereas early initiation before 3 weeks may be detrimental.

Short delay in initiation of radiotherapy for patients with glioblastoma-effect of concurrent chemotherapy: a secondary analysis from the NRG Oncology/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group database

Background

We previously reported the unexpected finding of significantly improved survival for newly diagnosed glioblastoma in patients when radiation therapy (RT) was initiated later (>4 wk post-op) compared with earlier (≤2 wk post-op). In that analysis, data were analyzed from 2855 patients from 16 NRG Oncology/Radiotherapy Oncology Group (RTOG) trials conducted prior to the era of concurrent temozolomide (TMZ) with RT. We now report on 1395 newly diagnosed glioblastomas from 2 studies, treated with RT and concurrent TMZ followed by adjuvant TMZ. Our hypothesis was that concurrent TMZ has a synergistic/radiosensitizing mechanism, making RT timing less significant.

Methods

Data from patients treated with TMZ-based chemoradiation from NRG Oncology/RTOG 0525 and 0825 were analyzed. An analysis comparable to our prior study was performed to determine whether there was still an impact on survival by delaying RT. Overall survival (OS) was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. Early progression (during time of diagnosis to 30 days after RT completion) was analyzed using the chi-square test.

Results

Given the small number of patients who started RT early following surgery, comparisons were made between >4 and ≤4 weeks delay of radiation from time of operation. There was no statistically significant difference in OS (hazard ratio = 0.93; P = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.80-1.07) after adjusting for known prognostic factors (recursive partitioning analysis and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase methylation status). Similarly, the rate of early progression did not differ significantly (P = 0.63).

Conclusions

We did not observe a significant prognostic influence of delaying radiation when given concurrently with TMZ for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. The effects of early (1-3 wk post-op) or late (>5 wk) initiation of radiation tested in our prior study could not be replicated.

Mitochondrial Substrate-Level Phosphorylation as Energy Source for Glioblastoma: Review and Hypothesis

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and malignant of the primary adult brain cancers. Ultrastructural and biochemical evidence shows that GBM cells exhibit mitochondrial abnormalities incompatible with energy production through oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). Under such conditions, the mitochondrial F0-F1 ATP synthase operates in reverse at the expense of ATP hydrolysis to maintain a moderate membrane potential. Moreover, expression of the dimeric M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase in GBM results in diminished ATP output, precluding a significant ATP production from glycolysis. If ATP synthesis through both glycolysis and OxPhos was impeded, then where would GBM cells obtain high-energy phosphates for growth and invasion? Literature is reviewed suggesting that the succinate-CoA ligase reaction in the tricarboxylic acid cycle can substantiate sufficient ATP through mitochondrial substrate-level phosphorylation (mSLP) to maintain GBM growth when OxPhos is impaired. Production of high-energy phosphates would be supported by glutaminolysis—a hallmark of GBM metabolism—through the sequential conversion of glutamine → glutamate → alpha-ketoglutarate → succinyl CoA → succinate. Equally important, provision of ATP through mSLP would maintain the adenine nucleotide translocase in forward mode, thus preventing the reverse-operating F0-F1 ATP synthase from depleting cytosolic ATP reserves. Because glucose and glutamine are the primary fuels driving the rapid growth of GBM and most tumors for that matter, simultaneous restriction of these two substrates or inhibition of mSLP should diminish cancer viability, growth, and invasion.

Provocative Question: Should Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy Become the Standard of Care for Glioblastoma?

No major advances have been made in improving overall survival for glioblastoma (GBM) in almost 100 years. The current standard of care (SOC) for GBM involves immediate surgical resection followed by radiotherapy with concomitant temozolomide chemotherapy. Corticosteroid (dexamethasone) is often prescribed to GBM patients to reduce tumor edema and inflammation. The SOC disrupts the glutamate-glutamine cycle thus increasing availability of glucose and glutamine in the tumor microenvironment. Glucose and glutamine are the prime fermentable fuels that underlie therapy resistance and drive GBM growth through substrate level phosphorylation in the cytoplasm and the mitochondria, respectively. Emerging evidence indicates that ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT) can reduce glucose availability while elevating ketone bodies that are neuroprotective and non-fermentable. Information is presented from preclinical and case report studies showing how KMT could target tumor cells without causing neurochemical damage thus improving progression free and overall survival for patients with GBM.

The Impact of Timing of Concurrent Chemoradiation in Patients With High-Grade Glioma in the Era of the Stupp Protocol

Background: The purpose of this study is to provide a critical review of current evidence for the impact of time to initiation of chemoradiation on overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas treated with radiation and concurrent temozolomide chemotherapy.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Studies were included if they provided separate analysis for patients treated with current standard of care: radiation and concurrent temozolomide. Bias assessment was performed for each included study using the Newcastle-Ottawa Assessment Scale, with Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) and extent of resection used for comparability.

Results: The initial search yielded 575 citations. Based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 10 retrospective cohort studies were included in this review for a total of 30,298 patients. Of these, one study described an indirect relationship between time to initiation of treatment and overall survival. One study found decreased survival only with patients with significantly longer time to treatment. Four studies found no significant effect of time to treatment on overall survival. The four remaining studies found that patients with moderate time to initiation had the best overall survival.

Conclusion: This review provides evidence that moderate time to initiation of chemoradiotherapy in patients with high-grade gliomas does not lead to a significant decrease in overall survival, though the effect of significant delays in treatment initiation remains unclear.

[Hypofractioned radiotherapy in elderly patient with glioblastoma]

Glioblastoma is the most frequent primary brain tumor, with more than half of all patients being at least 65 years old. The treatment of the elderly in this pathology represents therefore a considerable challenge for oncologists and radiation therapists. However, in most clinical trials, age is a non-eligible criterial. In the last ten years, geriatric therapeutic trials have been multiplied. The treatment of glioblastoma consists of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. In elderly patients, the evaluation of performans status and the molecular characteristics of the tumor are important factors in order to propose the appropriate treatment in terms of efficacy and toxicity.

Management of Glioblastoma Multiforme in a Patient Treated With Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy and Modified Standard of Care: A 24-Month Follow-Up

Few advances have been made in overall survival for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in more than 40 years. Here, we report the case of a 38-year-old man who presented with chronic headache, nausea, and vomiting accompanied by left partial motor seizures and upper left limb weakness. Enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a solid cystic lesion in the right partial space suggesting GBM. Serum testing revealed vitamin D deficiency and elevated levels of insulin and triglycerides. Prior to subtotal tumor resection and standard of care (SOC), the patient conducted a 72-h water-only fast. Following the fast, the patient initiated a vitamin/mineral-supplemented ketogenic diet (KD) for 21 days that delivered 900 kcal/day. In addition to radiotherapy, temozolomide chemotherapy, and the KD (increased to 1,500 kcal/day at day 22), the patient received metformin (1,000 mg/day), methylfolate (1,000 mg/day), chloroquine phosphate (150 mg/day), epigallocatechin gallate (400 mg/day), and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) (60 min/session, 5 sessions/week at 2.5 ATA). The patient also received levetiracetam (1,500 mg/day). No steroid medication was given at any time. Post-surgical histology confirmed the diagnosis of GBM. Reduced invasion of tumor cells and thick-walled hyalinized blood vessels were also seen suggesting a therapeutic benefit of pre-surgical metabolic therapy. After 9 months treatment with the modified SOC and complimentary ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT), the patient’s body weight was reduced by about 19%. Seizures and left limb weakness resolved. Biomarkers showed reduced blood glucose and elevated levels of urinary ketones with evidence of reduced metabolic activity (choline/N-acetylaspartate ratio) and normalized levels of insulin, triglycerides, and vitamin D. This is the first report of confirmed GBM treated with a modified SOC together with KMT and HBOT, and other targeted metabolic therapies. As rapid regression of GBM is rare following subtotal resection and SOC alone, it is possible that the response observed in this case resulted in part from the modified SOC and other novel treatments. Additional studies are needed to validate the efficacy of KMT administered with alternative approaches that selectively increase oxidative stress in tumor cells while restricting their access to glucose and glutamine. The patient remains in excellent health (Karnofsky Score, 100%) with continued evidence of significant tumor regression.

Newly diagnosed glioblastoma: adverse socioeconomic factors correlate with delay in radiotherapy initiation and worse overall survival

The optimal time for starting radiation in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) is controversial. We aimed to evaluate postoperative radiotherapy treatment patterns and the impact of timing of radiotherapy on survival outcomes in patients with GBM using a large, national hospital-based registry in the era of Stupp chemoradiation. We performed a retrospective cohort study using the National Cancer Data Base and identified adults with GBM diagnosed between 2010 and 2013 and treated with chemoradiation. We classified time from surgery/biopsy to radiation start into the following categories: <15 days, 15-21 days, 22-28 days, 29-35 days, 36-42 days and >42 days. We assessed the relation between time to radiation start and survival using Cox proportional hazards modeling adjusting for clinically relevant variables that were selected a priori. We used multivariate logistic modeling to determine factors independently associated with receipt of delayed radiation treatment. A total of 12 738 patients met our inclusion criteria after our cohort selection process. The majority of patients underwent either gross total (n = 5270, 41%) or subtotal (n = 4700, 37%) resection, while 2768 patients (22%) underwent biopsy only. Median time from definitive surgery or biopsy to initiation of radiation was 29 days (interquartile range 24-36 days). For patients who had biopsy or subtotal resection, earlier initiation of radiation did not appear to be associated with improved survival. However, among patients who underwent gross total resection, there appeared to be improved survival with early initiation of radiation. Patients who initiated radiation within 15-21 days of gross total resection had improved survival (hazard ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.69-0.98, P = 0.03) compared with patients who had delayed (>42 days after surgery) radiation. There was also a trend (P = 0.07 to 0.12) for improved survival for patients who initiated radiation within 22-35 days of gross total resection compared with patients who had delayed radiation. Patients who were black, had Medicaid or other government insurance or were not insured, and who lived in metropolitan areas or further away from the treating facility had higher odds of receiving radiation >35 days after gross total resection. Patients who lived in higher income areas had higher odds of receiving radiation within 35 days of a gross total resection. In a large cohort of patients with GBM treated with chemoradiation, our data suggest a survival benefit in initiating radiotherapy within 35 days after gross total resection. Further research is warranted to understand barriers to timely access to optimal therapy.

Impact of Timing of Adjuvant Chemoradiation for Glioblastoma in a Large Hospital Database

BACKGROUND

Although the standard of care for glioblastoma remains maximal safe resection followed by chemoradiation, conflicting reports have emerged regarding the importance of the time interval between these 2 treatments.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether differences in the duration between surgery and initiation of chemoradiation for glioblastoma had an impact on overall survival (OS) in a large hospital-based database.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried to identify patients diagnosed with glioblastoma between 2010 and 2012 treated with surgery followed by chemoradiation. Patients who received biopsy only were excluded. The time from surgery to initiation of radiation therapy was divided into 4 equal quartiles of ≤24, 25 to 30, 31 to 37, and &gt;37 d. Patient characteristics were compared between groups using Pearson Chi Square and Fisher's Exact test. OS was analyzed via the Kaplan–Meier method and compared via the log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression were performed to assess for impact of covariables on OS.

RESULTS

A total of 11 652 patients were included in the analysis. Median duration from surgery to radiation was 30 d. On multivariable regression, black race, larger tumor, gross-total resection, methyguanine-methyl transferase (MGMT+), and treatment at an academic facility were associated with a duration &gt;30 d. On multivariable analysis, there were no significant differences when comparing start within 24 d to 25 to 30 d (hazard ratio [HR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90-1.01, P = .13) or &gt; 37 d (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.91-1.03, P = .26), although a small OS improvement was seen if initiated within 31 to 37 d (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.99, P = .02).

CONCLUSION

There was no clear association between duration from surgery to initiation of chemoradiation on OS.

Timing of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Glioblastoma Patients: A Single-Institution Experience With More Than 400 Patients

BACKGROUND

The standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) is maximal safe resection followed by adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ).

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether the timing of adjuvant RT after surgery affected outcome in patients with GBM.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed all patients with a diagnosis of GBM at our institution. A total of 447 patients were included in our analysis. Patients were divided into 3 equal groups based on the interval between surgery and RT. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Patients who began RT less than 21 days after surgery tended to be older, have a lower a Karnofsky Performance Status score, and higher recursive partitioning analysis class. These patients were more likely to have undergone biopsy only and received 3-dimensional conformal RT or 2-dimensional RT. The median OS for patients who started RT less than 21 days after surgery, between 21 and 32 days after surgery, and more than 32 days after surgery was 374, 465, and 478 days, respectively (P = .004). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, Karnofsky Performance Status score lower than 70, undergoing biopsy only, recursive partitioning analysis classes IV and V/VI, use of less than 36 Gy RT, and lack of TMZ chemotherapy were predictors of worse OS. The interval between surgery and RT was not significantly associated with OS on multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Patients who begin RT less than 21 days after surgery tend to have worse prognostic factors than those who begin RT later. When accounting for significant covariates, the effect of timing between surgery and RT is not significant.

[Guidelines for the radiotherapy of gliomas]

Gliomas are the most frequent primary brain tumours. Treating these tumours is difficult because of the proximity of organs at risk, infiltrating nature, and radioresistance. Clinical prognostic factors such as age, Karnofsky performance status, tumour location, and treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy have long been recognized in the management of patients with gliomas. Molecular biomarkers are increasingly evolving as additional factors that facilitate diagnosis and therapeutic decision-making. These practice guidelines aim at helping in choosing the best treatment, in particular radiation therapy.

Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy with Temozolomide Followed by Adjuvant Temozolomide for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Patients: A Retrospective Multicenter Observation Study in Korea

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and survival benefits of combined treatment with radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) in a Korean sample.

Materials and Methods

A total of 750 Korean patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme, who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy with TMZ (CCRT) and adjuvant TMZ from January 2006 until June 2011, were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

After the first operation, a gross total resection (GTR), subtotal resection (STR), partial resection (PR), biopsy alone were achieved in 388 (51.7%), 159 (21.2%), 96 (12.8%), and 107 (14.3%) patients, respectively. The methylation status of O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) was reviewed retrospectively in 217 patients. The median follow-up period was 16.3 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 17.5 months. The actuarial survival rates at the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 72.1%, 21.0%, and 9.0%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.1 months, and the actuarial PFS at 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS were 42.2%, 13.0%, and 7.8%, respectively. The patients who received GTR showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those who received STR, PR, or biopsy alone, regardless of the methylation status of the MGMT promoter. Patients with a methylated MGMT promoter also showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those with an unmethylated MGMT promoter. Patients who received more than six cycles of adjuvant TMZ had a longer OS and PFS than those who received six or fewer cycles. Hematologic toxicity of grade 3 or 4 was observed in 8.4% of patients during the CCRT period and in 10.2% during the adjuvant TMZ period.

Conclusion

Patients treated with CCRT followed by adjuvant TMZ had more favorable survival rates and tolerable toxicity than those who did not undergo this treatment.

The potential impact of delayed radiation therapy on patients with glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Radiation therapy (RT) is the major component of glioblastoma treatment; however, the time to initiate RT after surgical intervention varies between institutions. Our study examined the time from diagnosis to the initiation of RT and its effects on overall patient survival.

METHODS

We retrospectively examined 267 patients with glioblastoma who received RT as part of their therapy in two Canadian tertiary care centers. The primary goal of the study is to assess if time to RT can predict/impact survival in glioblastoma patients.

RESULTS

The following variables were associated with an increased risk of death: hazard ratio (HR) of time to RT was 0.95 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.91–0.99] for every extra week. HRs for the type of surgery (resection or biopsy) and type of management received (standard of care in comparison with RT regardless of chemotherapeutic agents other than concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide) were 0.50 (95% CI, 0.37–0.66) and 0.53 (95% CI, 0.38–0.75), respectively. HR for age was 1.02 (95% CI, 1.01–1.03) for every extra year. Standard 60 Gy RT HR was 0.70 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.51–0.97] in younger patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The time from diagnosis to the initiation of RT was found to be a significant prognostic factor for overall patient survival. The addition of temozolomide to the treatment protocol, age, standard RT dose in younger patients and extent of surgery are others factors associated with longer survival periods.

Impact potentiel de la radiothérapie différée chez les patients atteints d'un glioblastome.

Bevacizumab and temozolomide versus temozolomide alone as neoadjuvant treatment in unresected glioblastoma: the GENOM 009 randomized phase II trial

We sought to determine the impact of bevacizumab on reduction of tumor size prior to chemoradiotherapy in unresected glioblastoma patients. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive temozolomide (TMZ arm) or temozolomide plus bevacizumab (TMZ + BEV arm). In both arms, neoadjuvant treatment was temozolomide (85 mg/m(2), days 1-21, two 28-day cycles), concurrent radiation plus temozolomide, and six cycles of adjuvant temozolomide. In the TMZ + BEV arm, bevacizumab (10 mg/kg) was added on days 1 and 15 of each neoadjuvant cycle and on days 1, 15 and 30 of concurrent treatment. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed response to neoadjuvant treatment. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and the impact on outcome of MGMT methylation in tumor and serum. One hundred and two patients were included; 43 in the TMZ arm and 44 in the TMZ + BEV arm were evaluable for response. Results favored the TMZ + BEV arm in terms of objective response (3 [6.7 %] vs. 11 [22.9 %]; odds ratio 4.2; P = 0.04). PFS and OS were longer in the TMZ + BEV arm, though the difference did not reach statistical significance. MGMT methylation in tumor, but not in serum, was associated with outcome. More patients experienced toxicities in the TMZ + BEV than in the TMZ arm (P = 0.06). The combination of bevacizumab plus temozolomide is more active than temozolomide alone and may well confer benefit in terms of tumor shrinkage in unresected patients albeit at the expense of greater toxicity.

Delaying standard combined chemoradiotherapy after surgical resection does not impact survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients

BACKGROUND

To assess the influence of the time interval between surgical resection and standard combined chemoradiotherapy on survival in newly diagnosed and homogeneously treated (surgical resection plus standard combined chemoradiotherapy) glioblastoma patients; while controlling confounding factors (extent of resection, carmustine wafer implantation, functional status, neurological deficit, and postoperative complications).

METHODS

From 2005 to 2011, 692 adult patients (434 men; mean of 57.5 ± 10.8 years) with a newly diagnosed glioblastoma were enrolled in this retrospective multicentric study. All patients were treated by surgical resection (65.5% total/subtotal resection, 34.5% partial resection; 36.7% carmustine wafer implantation) followed by standard combined chemoradiotherapy (radiotherapy at a median dose of 60 Gy, with daily concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide). Time interval to standard combined chemoradiotherapy was analyzed as a continuous variable and as a dichotomized variable using median and quartiles thresholds. Multivariate analyses using Cox modeling were conducted.

RESULTS

The median progression-free survival was 10.3 months (95% CI, 10.0-11.0). The median overall survival was 19.7 months (95% CI, 18.5-21.0). The median time to initiation of combined chemoradiotherapy was 1.5 months (25% quartile, 1.0; 75% quartile, 2.2; range, 0.1-9.0). On univariate and multivariate analyses, OS and PFS were not significantly influenced by time intervals to adjuvant treatments. On multivariate analysis, female gender, total/subtotal resection and RTOG-RPA classes 3 and 4 were significant independent predictors of improved OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Delaying standard combined chemoradiotherapy following surgical resection of newly diagnosed glioblastoma in adult patients does not impact survival.

Minimizing the uncertainties regarding the effects of delaying radiotherapy for Glioblastoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Previous studies have provided no clear conclusions regarding the effects of delaying radiotherapy (RT) in GBM patients. We present a systematic review and meta-analysis to address the effect of delayed RT on the overall survival (OS) of GBM patients.

METHODS

A systematic search retrieved 19 retrospective studies published between 1975 and 2014 reporting on the waiting time (WT) to RT for GBM patients. The meta-analysis was performed by converting WT to RT studies intervals into a regression coefficient (β) and standard error expressing the effect size on OS per week of delay.

RESULTS

Data required to calculate the effect size on OS per week of delay were available for 12 studies (5212 patients). A non-adjusted model and a meta-regression model based on well-recognized prognostic factors were performed. No association between WT to RT, per week of delay, and OS was found (HR=0.98; 95% CI 0.90-1.08; p=0.70). The meta-regression adjusted for prognostic factors weighted by the inverse-variance (1/SE(2)) showed no clear evidence of the effect of WT to RT, per week of delay, on OS.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis, despite limitations, provided no evidence of a true effect on OS by delaying RT in GBM patients.

Genotoxic sensitivity of the developing hematopoietic system

Genotoxic sensitivity seems to vary during ontogenetic development. Animal studies have shown that the spontaneous mutation rate is higher during pregnancy and infancy than in adulthood. Human and animal studies have found higher levels of DNA damage and mutations induced by mutagens in fetuses/newborns than in adults. This greater susceptibility could be due to reduced DNA repair capacity. In fact, several studies indicated that some DNA repair pathways seem to be deficient during ontogenesis. This has been demonstrated also in murine hematopoietic stem cells. Genotoxicity in the hematopoietic system has been widely studied for several reasons: it is easy to assess, deals with populations cycling also in the adults and may be relevant for leukemogenesis. Reviewing the literature concerning the application of the micronucleus test (a validated assay to assess genotoxicity) in fetus/newborns and adults, we found that the former show almost always higher values than the latter, both in animals treated with genotoxic substances and in those untreated. Therefore, we draw the conclusion that the genotoxic sensitivity of the hematopoietic system is more pronounced during fetal life and decreases during ontogenic development.

Guidelines, "minimal requirements" and standard of care in glioblastoma around the Mediterranean Area: A report from the AROME (Association of Radiotherapy and Oncology of the Mediterranean arEa) Neuro-Oncology working party

Glioblastoma is the most common and the most lethal primary brain tumor in adults. Although studies are ongoing, the epidemiology of glioblastoma in North Africa (i.e. Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) remains imperfectly settled and needs to be specified for a better optimization of the neuro-oncology healthcare across the Mediterranean area and in North Africa countries. Over the last years significant therapeutic advances have been accomplished improving survival and quality of life of glioblastoma patients. Indeed, concurrent temozolomide-radiotherapy (temoradiation) and adjuvant temozolomide has been established as the standard of care associated with a survival benefit and a better outcome. Therefore, considering this validated strategy and regarding the means and some other North Africa countries specificities, we decided, under the auspices of AROME (association of radiotherapy and oncology of the Mediterranean area; www.aromecancer.org), a non-profit organization, to organize a dedicated meeting to discuss the standards and elaborate a consensus on the "minimal requirements" adapted to the local resources. Thus, panels of physicians involved in daily multidisciplinary brain tumors management in the two borders of the Mediterranean area have been invited to the AROME neuro-oncology working party. We report here the consensus, established for minimal human and material resources for glioblastoma diagnosis and treatment faced to the standard of care, which should be reached. If the minimal requirements are not reached, the patients should be referred to the closest specialized medical center where at least minimal requirements, or, ideally, the standard of care should be guaranteed to the patients.

Initial care and outcome of glioblastoma multiforme patients in 2 diverse health care scenarios in Brazil: does public versus private health care matter?

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological and survival features of patients with glioblastoma multiforme treated in 2 health care scenarios--public and private--in Brazil.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed clinical, treatment, and outcome characteristics of glioblastoma multiforme patients from 2003 to 2011 at 2 institutions.

RESULTS

The median age of the 171 patients (117 public and 54 private) was 59.3 years (range, 18-84). The median survival for patients treated in private institutions was 17.4 months (95% confidence interval, 11.1-23.7) compared with 7.1 months (95% confidence interval, 3.8-10.4) for patients treated in public institutions (P < .001). The time from the first symptom to surgery was longer in the public setting (median of 64 days for the public hospital and 31 days for the private institution; P = .003). The patients at the private hospital received radiotherapy concurrent with chemotherapy in 59.3% of cases; at the public hospital, only 21.4% (P < .001). Despite these differences, the institution of treatment was not found to be an independent predictor of outcome (hazard ratio, 1.675; 95% confidence interval, 0.951-2.949; P = .074). The Karnofsky performance status and any additional treatment after surgery were predictors of survival. A hazard ratio of 0.010 (95% confidence interval, 0.003-0.033; P < .001) was observed for gross total tumor resection followed by radiotherapy concurrent with chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite obvious disparities between the hospitals, the medical assistance scenario was not an independent predictor of survival. However, survival was directly influenced by additional treatment after surgery. Therefore, increasing access to resources in developing countries like Brazil is critical.

Impact of waiting time after surgery and overall time of postoperative radiochemotherapy on treatment outcome in glioblastoma multiforme

Background

A time factor of radiooncological treatment has been demonstrated for several tumours, most prominently for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and lung cancer. In glioblastoma multiforme studies of the impact of postoperative waiting times before initiation of radio- or radiochemotherapy were inconclusive. Moreover analysis of the impact of overall treatment time of radiochemotherapy as well as overall duration of local treatment from surgery to the end of radiochemotherapy is lacking to date.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we included 369 consecutive patients treated at our institution between 2001 and 2014. Inclusion criteria were histologically proven glioblastoma multiforme, age ≥ 18 years, ECOG performance status 0–2 before radiotherapy, radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy with 33 × 1.8 Gy to 59.4 Gy or with 30 × 2.0 Gy to 60 Gy. The impact of postoperative waiting time, radiation treatment time and overall duration of local treatment from surgery to the end of radiotherapy on overall (OS) and progression-free (PFS) survival were evaluated under consideration of known prognostic factors by univariate Log-rank tests and multivariate Cox-regression analysis.

Results

The majority of patients had received simultaneous and further adjuvant chemotherapy, mainly with temozolomide. Median survival time and 2-year OS were 18.0 months and 38.9 % after radiochemotherapy compared to 12.7 months and 12.6 % after radiotherapy alone. Median progression-free survival time was 7.5 months and PFS at 2 years was 14.3 % compared to 6.0 months and 3.3 %, respectively. Significant prognostic factors in multivariate analysis were age, resection status and application of simultaneous chemotherapy. No effect of the interval between surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (median 27, range 11–112 days), radiation treatment time (median 45, range 40–71 days) and of overall time from surgery until the end of radiotherapy (median 54, range 71–154 days) on overall and progression-free survival was evident.

Conclusion

Our data do not indicate a relevant time factor in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme in a large contemporary single-centre cohort. Although this study was limited by its retrospective nature, its results indicate that short delays of postoperative radiochemotherapy, e.g. for screening of a patient for a clinical trial, may be uncritical.

Time to treatment as a quality metric in lung cancer: Staging studies, time to treatment, and patient survival

PURPOSE

Prompt staging and treatment are crucial for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We determined if predictors of treatment delay after diagnosis were associated with prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medicare claims from 28,732 patients diagnosed with NSCLC in 2004-2007 were used to establish the diagnosis-to-treatment interval (ideally ⩽35days) and identify staging studies during that interval. Factors associated with delay were identified with multivariate logistic regression, and associations between delay and survival by stage were tested with Cox proportional hazard regression.

RESULTS

Median diagnosis-to-treatment interval was 27days. Receipt of PET was associated with delays (57.4% of patients with PET delayed [n=6646/11,583] versus 22.8% of those without [n=3908/17,149]; adjusted OR=4.48, 95% CI 4.23-4.74, p<0.001). Median diagnosis-to-PET interval was 15days; PET-to-clinic, 5days; and clinic-to-treatment, 12days. Diagnosis-to-treatment intervals <35days were associated with improved survival for patients with localized disease and those with distant disease surviving ⩾1year but not for patients with distant disease surviving <1year.

CONCLUSION

Delays between diagnosing and treating NSCLC are common and associated with use of PET for staging. Reducing time to treatment may improve survival for patients with manageable disease at diagnosis.

Survival impact of time to initiation of chemoradiotherapy after resection of newly diagnosed glioblastoma

OBJECT

There are few and conflicting reports on the effects of delayed initiation of chemoradiotherapy on the survival of patients with glioblastoma. The standard of care for newly diagnosed glioblastoma is concurrent radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy after maximal safe resection; however, the optimal timing of such therapy is poorly defined. Given the lack of consensus in the literature, the authors performed a retrospective analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate the effect of time from surgery to initiation of therapy on survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

METHODS

Patients with primary glioblastoma diagnosed since 2005 and treated according to the standard of care were identified from TCGA database. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to compare overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between groups stratified by postoperative delay to initiation of radiation treatment.

RESULTS

There were 218 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with known time to initiation of radiotherapy identified in the database. The median duration until therapy was 27 days. Delay to radiotherapy longer than the median was not associated with worse PFS (HR = 0.918, p = 0.680) or OS (HR = 1.135, p = 0.595) in multivariate analysis when controlling for age, sex, KPS score, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients in the highest and lowest quartiles for delay to therapy (≤ 20 days vs ≥ 36 days) did not statistically differ in PFS (p = 0.667) or OS (p = 0.124). The small subset of patients with particularly long delays (> 42 days) demonstrated worse OS (HR = 1.835, p = 0.019), but not PFS (p = 0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

Modest delay in initiation of postoperative chemotherapy and radiation does not appear to be associated with worse PFS or OS in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma, while significant delay longer than 6 weeks may be associated with worse OS.

Growth dynamics of untreated glioblastomas in vivo

BACKGROUND

Glioblastomas are primary malignant brain tumors with a dismal prognosis. Knowledge of growth rates and underlying growth dynamics is useful for understanding basic tumor biology, developing realistic tumor models, and planning treatment logistics.

METHODS

By using repeated pretreatment contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRI scans from 106 patients (aged 26-83 years), we studied the growth dynamics of untreated glioblastomas in vivo. Growth rates were calculated as specific growth rates and equivalent volume doubling times. The fit of different possible growth models was assessed using maximum likelihood estimations.

RESULTS

There were large variations in growth rates between patients. The median specific growth rate of the tumors was 1.4% per day, and the equivalent volume doubling time was 49.6 days. Exploring 3 different tumor growth models showed similar statistical fit for a Gompertzian growth model and a linear radial growth model and worse fit for an exponential growth model. However, large tumors had significantly lower growth rates than smaller tumors, supporting the assumption that glioblastomas reach a plateau phase and thus exhibit Gompertzian growth.

CONCLUSION

Based on the fast growth rate of glioblastoma shown in this study, it is evident that poor treatment logistics will influence tumor size before surgery and can cause significant regrowth before adjuvant treatment. Since there is a known association between tumor volume, extent of surgical resection, and response to adjuvant therapy, it is likely that waiting times play a role in patient outcomes.

Brain tumors in Sweden: data from a population-based registry 1999-2012

BACKGROUND

The Swedish brain tumor registry has, since it was launched in 1999, provided significant amounts of data on histopathological diagnoses and on important aspects of surgical and medical management of these patients. The purpose is mainly quality control, but also as a resource for research.

METHODS

Three Swedish healthcare regions, constituting 40% of the Swedish population, have had an almost complete registration. The following parameters are registered: diagnosis according to SNOMED/WHO classification, symptoms, performance status, pre- and postoperative radiology, tumor size and localization, extent of surgery and occurrence of postoperative complications, postoperative treatment, such as radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, other treatments, complications and toxicity, occurrence of reoperation/s, participation in clinical trials, multidisciplinary conferences and availability of a contact nurse.

RESULTS

Surgical radicality has been essentially constant, whereas the use of early (within 72 hours) postoperative CT and MRI has increased, especially for high-grade glioma, which is a reflection of quality of surgery. Survival of patients with high-grade glioma has increased, especially in the age group 60-69. Patients aged 18-39 years had a five-year survival of 40%. Waiting times for the pathological report has been slightly prolonged. Geographical differences do exist for some of the variables.

CONCLUSION

Population-based registration is valuable for assessment of clinical management, which could have impact on patient care. As a result of short survival and/or the propensity to affect cognitive functions this patient group has considerable difficulties to make their voices heard in society. We therefore believe that a report like the present one can contribute to the spread of knowledge and increase the awareness for this patient group among caregivers and policy makers.

Waiting time to radiotherapy as a prognostic factor for glioblastoma patients in a scenario of medical disparities

Objective To evaluate the effect of waiting time (WT) to radiotherapy (RT) on overall survival (OS) of glioblastoma (GBM) patients as a reliable prognostic variable in Brazil, a scenario of medical disparities. Method Retrospective study of 115 GBM patients from two different health-care institutions (one public and one private) in Brazil who underwent post-operative RT. Results Median WT to RT was 6 weeks (range, 1.3-17.6). The median OS for WT ≤ 6 weeks was 13.5 months (95%CI , 9.1-17.9) and for WT > 6 weeks was 14.2 months (95%CI, 11.2-17.2) (HR 1.165, 95%CI 0.770-1.762; p = 0.470). In the multivariate analysis, the variables associated with survival were KPS (p < 0.001), extent of resection (p = 0.009) and the adjuvant treatment (p = 0.001). The KPS interacted with WT to RT (HR 0.128, 95%CI 0.034-0.476; p = 0.002), showing that the benefit of KPS on OS depends on the WT to RT. Conclusion No prognostic impact of WT to RT could be detected on the OS. Although there are no data to ensure that delays to RT are tolerable, we may reassure patients that the time-length to initiate treatment does not seem to influence the control of the disease, particularly in face of other prognostic factors.

Radiotherapy scheduling using prime numbers

Background

The optimal delivery of radiation therapy to achieve maximum tumour cell kill while limiting damage to normal tissues underlies any radiation therapy treatment protocol. The biological effectiveness of radiation therapy is closely related to cellular reproductive activity. The scheduling of dose fraction to a time where actively dividing cells are at their most radiosensitive stage (RS) has potential to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

Materials and methods

A prime number is a natural number >1 whose only divisors are 1 and the number itself.

Purpose

We propose that the use of prime numbers in the scheduling of radiotherapy treatments could maximise biological effectiveness by facilitating the irradiation of the greatest number of cells at their most RS stage, and ultimately improve the therapeutic ratio of radiation therapy.

Conclusions

The theoretical clinical implementation of this concept into the scheduling of radiation therapy is discussed.

Effect of time from diagnosis to start of radiotherapy on children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma

BACKGROUND

Children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) continue to have poor outcomes, and radiotherapy (RT) is the only temporarily effective treatment. In this retrospective analysis, we studied the effect of time from diagnosis to start of RT on event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in children with DIPG.

METHODS

Records of children (n = 95) with DIPG treated with RT at a single institution between April 1999 and September 2009 were analyzed. RT was delivered at doses of 54.0-55.8 Gy at 1.8 Gy per fraction, and children were followed prospectively. The effect of gender, race, interruption during treatment course, age at diagnosis, duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis, use of protocol-based chemotherapy, and time from diagnosis to initiation of RT on EFS and OS was assessed by the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Time as a continuous variable from diagnosis to start of RT did not affect outcome. Time dichotomized to ≤14 days significantly affected OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.70, P = 0.014) and race other than white or black affected EFS (HR = 2.32, P = 0.017). The 95 patients had a 6-month EFS and OS of 60 ± 5% and 94.7 ± 2.3%, respectively, and a 12-month EFS and OS of 11.6 ± 3.1% and 49.5 ± 5%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Time as a continuous variable did not affect OS or EFS in our cohort; however, children treated within 2 weeks of diagnosis had poor outcomes. Although rapid initiation of RT is desirable, our findings do not support intensive efforts aimed at shortening delays from diagnosis to start of RT.

Temporal relationship of post-operative radiotherapy with temozolomide and oncologic outcome for glioblastoma

To determine the impact of delay between surgery and radiotherapy on overall survival (OS) in temozolomide treatmented patients with the incorporation of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). From 2000 to 2012, 345 consecutive glioblastoma patients were treated with surgery, radiotherapy, and temozolomide at our institution. A Cox-regression model was constructed using significant univariate parameters, known prognostic factors including MGMT, and the interval from surgery to radiotherapy (≤ 2, 2-5, and ≥ 6 weeks). Survival rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox-regression was utilized to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HR). The median survival for the entire cohort was 12.2 months. The 1 year actuarial OS was 43.1 %, 53.3 %, and 64.3 % (p = 0.11), for intervals from surgery to radiotherapy of ≤ 2, 2-5, and ≥ 6 weeks, respectively. Patients radiated within 2 weeks post-surgery were more likely to have older age (p = 0.03), treated with 2D techniques (p < 0.001) and dose <36 Gy (p < 0.001), undergo a biopsy only (p < 0.001), KPS of <70 (p < 0.001), severe pre-radiotherapy neurologic symptoms (p = 0.04), and bilateral disease (p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis including MGMT status demonstrated a significant detriment in delaying radiotherapy (≤ 2 weeks as reference); 3-5 weeks (HR 2.80 [0.72-10.89], p = 0.14), and >6 weeks (HR 3.76 [1.01-14.57], p = 0.05). We report the first analysis on the survival impact of delaying post-operative radiotherapy for temozolomide treated glioblastoma patients with MGMT information. Our data does not support the OS benefit previously seen in delayed RT when correcting for important covariates. We demonstrate a survival detriment with delaying RT post-surgery greater than 6 weeks on multivariate analysis.

Does Time between Imaging Diagnosis and Initiation of Radiotherapy Impact Survival after Whole-Brain Radiotherapy for Brain Metastases?

Aims. To evaluate whether reduced waiting time influences survival of patients treated with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) for brain metastases. Materials and Methods. Retrospective intention-to-treat study including 110 patients treated with primary WBRT (typically 10 fractions of 3 Gy; no other treatment between diagnosis and WBRT). Uni- and multivariate tests were performed. Results. Median delay between imaging diagnosis and WBRT was 12 days (range 0–66 days). WBRT started within 1 week in 36%, during the second week in 28%, and during the third week in 18% of patients. No significant correlation between waiting time and survival was evident, except for one subgroup of patients. Those without extracranial metastases (potentially more threatened by worse intracranial disease control) survived for a median of 2.5 months from WBRT if waiting time was 2 weeks or longer as compared to 5.6 months if waiting time was shorter than 2 weeks (P = 0.03). The same correlation was seen if survival was computed from imaging diagnosis. Conclusion. If departmental resources are not sufficient to provide immediate WBRT within 2 weeks to all patients, those without extracranial metastases should be prioritised. This study did not address the impact of waiting time on quality of life or symptom palliation.

Patterns of care and outcome for patients with glioblastoma diagnosed during 2008-2010 in Spain

BACKGROUND

To assess management patterns and outcome in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treated during 2008-2010 in Spain.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of clinical, therapeutic, and survival data collected through filled questionnaires from patients with histologically confirmed GBM diagnosed in 19 Spanish hospitals.

RESULTS

We identified 834 patients (23% aged >70 years). Surgical resection was achieved in 66% of patients, although the extent of surgery was confirmed by postoperative MRI in only 41%. There were major postoperative complications in 14% of patients, and age was the only independent predictor (Odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.01-1.05; P = .006). After surgery, 57% received radiotherapy (RT) with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide, 21% received other regimens, and 22% were not further treated. In patients treated with surgical resection, RT, and chemotherapy (n = 396), initiation of RT ≤42 days was associated with longer progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.8; 95% CI, 0.64-0.99; P = .042) but not with overall survival (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.62-1.00; P = .055). Only 32% of patients older than 70 years received RT with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide. The median survival in this group was 10.8 months (95% CI, 6.8-14.9 months), compared with 17.0 months (95% CI, 15.5-18.4 months; P = .034) among younger patients with GBM treated with the same regimen.

CONCLUSIONS

In a community setting, 57% of all patients with GBM and only 32% of older patients received RT with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide. In patients with surgical resection who were eligible for chemoradiation, initiation of RT ≤42 days was associated with better progression-free survival.

Early MRI changes in glioblastoma in the period between surgery and adjuvant therapy

To investigate the increase in MRI contrast enhancement (CE) occurring in glioblastoma during the period between surgery and initiation of chemo-radiotherapy, thirty-seven patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma were analyzed by early post-operative magnetic resonance (EPMR) imaging within three days of surgery and by pre-adjuvant magnetic resonance (PAMR) examination before adjuvant therapy. Areas of new CE were investigated by use of EPMR diffusion-weighted imaging and PAMR perfusion imaging (by arterial spin-labeling). PAMR was acquired, on average, 29.9 days later than EPMR (range 20-37 days). During this period an increased area of CE was observed for 17/37 patients. For 3/17 patients these regions were confined to areas of reduced EPMR diffusion, suggesting postsurgical infarct. For the other 14/17 patients, these areas suggested progression. For 11/17 patients the co-occurrence of hyperperfusion in PAMR perfusion suggested progression. PAMR perfusion and EPMR diffusion did not give consistent results for 3/17 patients for whom small new areas of CE were observed, presumably because of the poor spatial resolution of perfusion imaging. Before initiation of adjuvant therapy, areas of new CE of resected glioblastomas are frequently observed. Most of these suggest tumor progression, according to EPMR diffusion and PAMR perfusion criteria.

Waiting times before initiation of radiotherapy might not affect outcomes for patients with glioblastoma: a French retrospective analysis of patients treated in the era of concomitant temozolomide and radiotherapy

Purpose of this study was to determine the effect of waiting time for radiotherapy on overall survival of patients with glioblastoma treated in the EORTC-NCIC trial at 18 centers in France. A total of 400 adult patients with glioblastoma who were treated between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006 were included. There were 282 patients with "minimum criteria" according to the EORTC-NCIC trial: (i) concurrent chemotherapy with temozolomide; and (ii) age between 18 and 70 years old. Among these patients, 229 were treated with adjuvant temozolomide and were classified as "maximal criteria". One-hundred and eighteen patients were in the "without minimal criteria" group. Waiting time from the first symptom (FS-RT), pathology diagnosis (P-RT), multidisciplinary meeting (MM-RT), surgery (S-RT), and CT scan for delineation (CT-RT) until the start of radiotherapy were recorded. Median follow-up for all patients was 327 days. Overall, median FS-RT, P-RT, MM-RT, CT-RT, and S-RT times were 77, 36, 32, 12, and 41 days, respectively. Median, and 12 and 24-month overall survival were 409 days, and 56.3 ± 2.1 % and 27.6 ± 2.6 %, respectively. Univariate analysis failed to reveal a difference in survival, irrespective of the delay. In multivariate analysis, independent favorable prognostic factors for overall survival were age (p ≤ 0.0001) and type of surgery (p = 0.0006). In this large series treated during the EORTC-NCIC protocol period, waiting time until radiotherapy did not seem to affect patient outcome.

MGMT gene promoter methylation as a potent prognostic factor in glioblastoma treated with temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy: a single-institution study

PURPOSE

Recently, cells deficient in O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) were found to show increased sensitivity to temozolomide (TMZ). We evaluated whether hypermethylation of MGMT was associated with survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We retrospectively analyzed 93 patients with histologically confirmed GBM who received involved-field radiotherapy with TMZ from 2001 to 2008. The median age was 58 years (range, 24-78 years). Surgical resection was total in 39 patients (42%), subtotal in 30 patients (32%), and partial in 17 patients (18%); only a biopsy was performed in 7 patients (8%). Postoperative radiotherapy began within 3 weeks of surgery in 87% of the patients. Radiotherapy doses ranged from 50 to 74 Gy (median, 70 Gy). MGMT gene methylation was determined in 78 patients; MGMT was unmethylated in 43 patients (55%) and methylated in 35 patients (45%). The median follow-up period was 22 months (range, 3-88 months) for all patients.

RESULTS

The median overall survival (OS) was 22 months, and progression-free survival (PFS) was 11 months. MGMT gene methylation was an independently significant prognostic factor for both OS (p = 0.002) and PFS (p = 0.008) in multivariate analysis. The median OS was 29 months for the methylated group and 20 months for the unmethylated group. In 35 patients with methylated MGMT genes, the 2-year and 5-year OS rates were 54% and 31%, respectively. Six patients with combined prognostic factors of methylated MGMT genes, age ≤50 years, and total/subtotal resections are all alive 38 to 77 months after operation, whereas the median OS in 8 patients with unmethylated MGMT genes, age >50 years, and less than subtotal resection was 13.2 months.

CONCLUSION

We confirmed that MGMT gene methylation is a potent prognostic factor in patients with GBM. Our results suggest that early postoperative radiotherapy and a high total/subtotal resection rate might further improve the outcome.

Malignant glioma grade 3 and 4: how relevant is timing of radiotherapy?

AIMS AND BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to determine prognostic factors that influence further outcome in patients with glioma.

METHODS

Between 01/2002 and 08/2008, 153 patients with malignant gliomas of WHO-grade 3 or 4 who were treated with external beam radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy.

RESULTS

In univariate analysis, following factors were ascertained as statistically significant prognostic parameters: grade (p = 0.000), time between operation and radiotherapy >24 days (p = 0.044) for progression-free survival; grade (p = 0.000), age<58 years (p = 0.001), extent of surgery (p = 0.011), time between operation and radiotherapy >24 days (p = 0.009), overall treatment time >68 days (p = 0.003), use of chemotherapy (p = 0.015) for overall survival. A longer time period between resection and start of radiotherapy showed to be associated with improved outcome. After multivariate analysis, only grade (p = 0.000) remained a statistically significant factor for progression-free and grade (p = 0.000) and use of chemotherapy (p = 0.031) for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

We were able to recognize grade and use of chemotherapy as statistically significant prognostic determinants, but not time intervals or overall treatment time.