Radiotherapy for Glioblastoma in the Elderly

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 356; no. 15; pp. 1527 - 1535
• Main Authors: Keime-Guibert, Florence, Chinot, Olivier, Taillandier, Luc, Cartalat-Carel, Stéphanie, Frenay, Marc, Kantor, Guy, Guillamo, Jean-Sébastien, Jadaud, Eric, Colin, Philippe, Bondiau, Pierre-Yves, Meneï, Philippe, Loiseau, Hugues, Bernier, Valérie, Honnorat, Jérôme, Barrié, Maryline, Mokhtari, Karima, Mazeron, Jean-Jacques, Bissery, Anne, Delattre, Jean-Yves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 12.04.2007
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Astrocytoma - mortality; Astrocytoma - radiotherapy; Astrocytoma - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain cancer; Brain Neoplasms - mortality; Brain Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Brain Neoplasms - therapy; Cognition - radiation effects; Female; General aspects; Glioblastoma - mortality; Glioblastoma - radiotherapy; Glioblastoma - therapy; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Neurology; Older people; Proportional Hazards Models; Quality of Life; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy Dosage; Survival Analysis; Tumors of the nervous system. Phacomatoses; Human; Medicine; Malignant glioma; Nervous system diseases; Treatment; Central nervous system disease; Glioblastoma; Malignant tumor; Radiotherapy; Elderly
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa065901

This trial compared radiotherapy plus supportive care with supportive care alone in patients with glioblastoma who were 70 years of age or older. As compared with supportive care alone, radiotherapy improved survival by about 3 months and did not impair quality of life or cognition. The trial also showed that, despite some challenges, elderly patients can participate in a randomized, controlled clinical trial. In patients with glioblastoma who were 70 years of age or older, radiotherapy improved survival by about 3 months and did not impair quality of life or cognition. The incidence of malignant glioma is increasing among elderly patients, 1 – 3 whose advanced age has been associated not only with a poor prognosis but also with a reduced tolerance of treatment and a decreased efficacy of therapy. 4 – 6 Since the optimal management of malignant glioma in patients who are in their eighth or ninth decade of life has not been determined, we evaluated the efficacy of radiotherapy in this population. Methods Patients Patients 70 years of age or older were eligible to participate in the study if they had histologically proven, newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme or anaplastic astrocytoma on the . . .