Early Surgery Prolongs Professional Activity in IDH Mutant Low-Grade Glioma Patients: A Policy Change Analysis

A timeline of cognitive functioning in glioma patients who undergo awake brain tumor surgery

BACKGROUND

The purpose of awake brain tumor surgery is to maximize the resection of the tumor and to minimize the risk of neurological and cognitive impairments. The aim of this study is to gain understanding of the development of possible postoperative cognitive deficits after awake brain tumor surgery in patients with suspected gliomas, by comparing preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative functioning. A more detailed timeline will be helpful in informing candidates for surgery about what to expect regarding their cognitive functioning.

METHODS

Thirty-seven patients were included in this study. Cognitive functioning was measured by means of a broad cognitive screener preoperatively, days after surgery and months after surgery in patients who underwent awake brain tumor surgery with cognitive monitoring. The cognitive screener included tests for object naming, reading, attention span, working memory, inhibition, inhibition/switching, and visuoperception. We performed a Friedman ANOVA to analyze on group level.

RESULTS

Overall, no significant differences were found between preoperative cognitive functioning, early postoperative cognitive functioning, and late postoperative cognitive functioning, except for performances on the inhibition task. Directly after surgery, patients were significantly slower on this task. However, in the following months after surgery, they returned to their preoperative level.

CONCLUSION

The timeline of cognitive functioning after awake tumor surgery appeared overall stable in the early and late postoperative phase, except for inhibition, which is more difficult in the first days after awake brain tumor surgery. This more detailed timeline of cognitive functioning, in combination with future research, can possibly be contributing in informing patients and caregivers what to expect after awake brain tumor surgery.

Adjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy Versus Chemotherapy Alone for Resected Oligodendroglioma: A Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The benefit of postoperative adjuvant therapy for survival of oligodendrocyte glioma remains unclear. In this study, we compared the effect of chemoradiation therapy (CRT) and chemotherapy (CT) alone in patients who underwent resection. We aim to identify which adjuvant therapy provides more survival benefits.

METHODS

We identified patients who underwent oligodendroglioma resection in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors affecting survival rates. We used a propensity matching analysis to minimize selection bias in each group. We performed subgroup analyses based on patients' clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

This study identified 1826 patients who received adjuvant CT (n = 503) or adjuvant CRT (n = 1323). On multivariate analysis, elderly, white and other race, and temporal lobe and parietal lobe tumor site were independent risk factors for improved overall survival (OS). After 1:1 propensity match, we included 501 patients who received CT and 501 with CRT. Patients in the CT group showed improved overall survival rate compared with those who received CRT (median OS: 146 months vs. 111 months). Subgroup analysis showed that improved overall survival in CT group was more significant in patients who were younger or older, male or female, white race, frontal lobe and parietal lobe tumor site, smaller tumor size (≤4 cm), and with gross total resection (GTR) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with resected oligodendroglioma, adjuvant CT is associated with better survival compared to adjuvant CRT. The benefit was more significant in patients who were younger and older, male and female, white race, frontal lobe and parietal lobe tumor site, smaller tumor size (≤4 cm), and with GTR.

Clinical management and survival outcomes of patients with different molecular subtypes of diffuse gliomas in China (2011-2017): a multicenter retrospective study from CGGA

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to summarize the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic features of various molecular subtypes of diffuse gliomas (DGs) in the Chinese population.

METHODS

In total, 1,418 patients diagnosed with DG between 2011 and 2017 were classified into 5 molecular subtypes according to the 2016 WHO classification of central nervous system tumors. The IDH mutation status was determined by immunohistochemistry and/or DNA sequencing, and 1p/19q codeletion was detected with fluorescence in situ hybridization. The median clinical follow-up time was 1,076 days. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare clinicopathological characteristics. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods were used to evaluate prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Our cohort included 15.5% lower-grade gliomas, IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted (LGG-IDHm-1p/19q); 18.1% lower-grade gliomas, IDH-mutant (LGG-IDHm); 13.1% lower-grade gliomas, IDH-wildtype (LGG-IDHwt); 36.1% glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype (GBM-IDHwt); and 17.2% glioblastoma, IDH-mutant (GBM-IDHm). Approximately 63.3% of the enrolled primary gliomas, and the median overall survival times for LGG-IDHm, LGG-IDHwt, GBM-IDHwt, and GBM-IDHm subtypes were 75.97, 34.47, 11.57, and 15.17 months, respectively. The 5-year survival rate of LGG-IDHm-1p/19q was 76.54%. We observed a significant association between high resection rate and favorable survival outcomes across all subtypes of primary tumors. We also observed a significant role of chemotherapy in prolonging overall survival for GBM-IDHwt and GBM-IDHm, and in prolonging post-relapse survival for the 2 recurrent GBM subtypes.

CONCLUSIONS

By controlling for molecular subtypes, we found that resection rate and chemotherapy were 2 prognostic factors associated with survival outcomes in a Chinese cohort with DG.