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Does gender matter in glioblastoma?

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Abstract

Background

The clinical outcome of glioblastoma (GBM) patients who receive radiotherapy alone or with chemotherapy is well established. However, little is known about how many patients do not receive this treatment. We consider it is important to investigate why a proportion of operated patients do not receive further treatment after surgery.

Methods

We reviewed all consecutive GBM patients operated on in our hospital between January 2000 and December 2008.

Results

A total of 216 patients with GBM were identified. Fifty-five (25%) did not receive any treatment after surgery. Univariate analysis showed that factors associated with no further treatment after surgery were older than 60 years (p=0.002), of female gender (p=0.03), had a KPS<70 (p<0.001) and had had a biopsy (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that age ≥60 years and KPS <70 were independent predictors of no further treatment after surgery. Gender was not an independent variable. However, women in the whole series were older than 60 years (p=0.01), and they had a worse KPS (p=0.02) and more biopsies (p=0.04) than men. In the whole group, median survival time was 10.4 months for men (n=125) vs. 7.2 months for women (n=91), log rank p<0.04. This difference was not observed in the group that was treated after surgery.

Conclusions

One out of four patients could not be treated after surgery. Independent predictors were older age and low KPS. These poor risk variables were more frequent in women and their survival was therefore lower than men in our series.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Haematology and Oncology Department of Radiation Oncology Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, C/ Villarroel, 170, ES-08036, Barcelona, Spain

    Eugènia Verger & Izaskun Valduvieco

  2. Institute of Neuroscience Department of Neurosurgery, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Lluís Caral

  3. Imaging Diagnostic Center Department of Radiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Teresa Pujol & Laura Oleaga

  4. Biomedical Diagnostic Center Department of Pathology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Teresa Ribalta

  5. Institute of Haematology and Oncology Department of Medical Oncology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Núria Viñolas

  6. Institute of Neuroscience Department of Neuropsychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Teresa Boget

  7. Institute of Neuroscience Department of Neurology Hospital Clínic Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Yolanda Blanco & Francesc Graus

Authors
  1. Eugènia Verger
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  2. Izaskun Valduvieco
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  3. Lluís Caral
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  4. Teresa Pujol
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  5. Teresa Ribalta
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  6. Núria Viñolas
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  7. Teresa Boget
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  8. Laura Oleaga
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  9. Yolanda Blanco
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  10. Francesc Graus
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eugènia Verger.

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Verger, E., Valduvieco, I., Caral, L. et al. Does gender matter in glioblastoma?. Clin Transl Oncol 13, 737–741 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-011-0725-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-011-0725-7

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