Management of glioblastoma in Victoria, Australia (2006-2008)

Abstract

We describe the management of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in a population-based cohort and compare this to a previously studied cohort. We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with GBM from 2006-2008 in Victoria, Australia. Patients were identified from the population-based Victorian Cancer Registry and their treating doctors surveyed by questionnaire. Outcomes were then compared to a study of GBM patients who were diagnosed between 1998 and 2000 using an identical methodology. We reviewed 351 eligible patients. There were slightly more males (62%) and a minority had multifocal disease (13%). Total macroscopic resection, partial resection or biopsy only was performed in 32%, 37% and 24% of patients, respectively. The majority of patients were referred to a radiation oncologist and medical oncologist postoperatively. A total of 56% of patients were treated with postoperative radiotherapy with concurrent and sequential temozolomide and had a median survival of 14.4 months. This was significantly better than patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy alone in the current or earlier cohorts (2006-2008: median survival 6.2 months, p<0.0001 versus 1998-2000: 8.9 months, p<0.0001). This study demonstrates that postoperative chemoradiation has become the standard of care in this Victorian population with an associated improvement in median survival.

Keywords: Glioblastoma multiforme; Radiotherapy; Survival; Temozolomide.