Outcomes in Glioblastoma Patients: From Diagnosis to Palliation

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Causes, Screening and Diagnosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2024 | Viewed by 3109

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: functional neurosurgery; cerebrovascular disease; neuro-oncology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Translational Medicine and for Romagna, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Interests: neuro-oncology; pain treatment; functional neurosurgery; CSF physiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most challenging aspects in the treatment of high grade glioma (HGG) is the outcome assessment and the subsequent prognostic prevision. With the advancement of technical possibilities, it becomes fundamental to pursue a patient-tailored approach that takes into account a multitude of variables, including clinical, radiological, biomolecular and personal factors. This is particularly true for HGG patients that face the tremendous impact of such an aggressive tumor, as at each step of cure, a fundamental decision has to be made where every element is crucial. The most known example of a prognostic factor in HGG is the MGMT promoter methylation status and the response to alkylating agent chemotherapy, but many others are now under consideration in laboratory and clinical practice. From the first radiological evaluation to supportive end-of-life care, outcome assessment and prevision are of the utmost importance in HGG patient’s management to avoid both under or over treatments. This Special Issue will focus on the recent evidence on HGG’s Quoad vitam prognosis (prognostic radiological, clinical, biological, and genetical markers) and Quoad valetudinem prognosis (neurological and functional assessment of HGG patients, before and after therapy, including the psycho-social well-being of patients and caregivers).

Dr. Alba Scerrati
Dr. Giorgio Mantovani
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • high-grade glioma
  • outcome assessment
  • prognostic factors
  • neuro-oncology
  • glioblastoma

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 1073 KiB  
Article
High-Grade Glioma Recurrence Is Delayed in Hispanic Patients despite Severe Social Vulnerability: A Retrospective Cohort Study
by Joshua A. Reynolds, Isabella L. Pecorari, Alexander Ledet and Vijay Agarwal
Cancers 2024, 16(8), 1579; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16081579 - 20 Apr 2024
Viewed by 931
Abstract
High-grade gliomas (HGGs; WHO grade III or IV) are the most common and lethal brain malignancy. Patients of Hispanic ethnicity are diagnosed with HGGs earlier than non-Hispanic patients, but they exhibit improved HGG survival following diagnosis. Either environmental or biological factors could explain [...] Read more.
High-grade gliomas (HGGs; WHO grade III or IV) are the most common and lethal brain malignancy. Patients of Hispanic ethnicity are diagnosed with HGGs earlier than non-Hispanic patients, but they exhibit improved HGG survival following diagnosis. Either environmental or biological factors could explain this survival benefit. We aimed to determine if post-diagnosis advantages would still be present in Hispanic patients with high social vulnerability, an environmental condition predisposing patients to poor oncologic outcomes. HGG outcomes were retrospectively assessed in a cohort of 22 Hispanic patients and 33 non-Hispanic patients treated for HGGs from 2015 to 2020 at a single institution that serves a highly vulnerable region. Compared to non-Hispanic patients, Hispanic patients demonstrated higher social vulnerability index scores (96.8 + 0.7 vs. 76.3 + 4.6; *** p = 0.0002) and a 14-month longer interval between diagnosis and recurrence (19.7 + 5.9 (n = 13) vs. 5.5 + 0.6 months (n = 19); ** p = 0.001). In only those patients with more aggressive IDH-1 wildtype tumors (glioblastoma), Hispanic ethnicity still related to a longer time before recurrence (15.8 + 5.9 months (n = 9); 5.5 + 0.6 months (n = 18); * p = 0.034), and in a multivariate analysis, Hispanic ethnicity predicted time-to-recurrence (* p = 0.027) independent of patient age, functional status, MGMT gene methylation, or treatments received. Therefore, environmental factors, specifically social vulnerability, did not obscure the post-diagnosis benefits associated with Hispanic ethnicity. In future experiments, basic studies should be prioritized which investigate the cellular or genetic mechanisms underlying this ethnicity effect on HGG progression in the hopes of improving care for these devastating malignancies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Outcomes in Glioblastoma Patients: From Diagnosis to Palliation)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 4664 KiB  
Review
Risk Factors of Distant Recurrence and Dissemination of IDH Wild-Type Glioblastoma: A Single-Center Study and Meta-Analysis
by Takahiro Tsuchiya, Daisuke Kawauchi, Makoto Ohno, Yasuji Miyakita, Masamichi Takahashi, Shunsuke Yanagisawa, Sho Osawa, Shohei Fujita, Takaki Omura and Yoshitaka Narita
Cancers 2024, 16(16), 2873; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16162873 - 18 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1452
Abstract
Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with a high recurrence rate despite adjuvant treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for non-local recurrence of GBM. In the present study, we analyzed 104 GBMs [...] Read more.
Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with a high recurrence rate despite adjuvant treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for non-local recurrence of GBM. In the present study, we analyzed 104 GBMs with a single lesion (non-multifocal or multicentric). Univariate analysis revealed that subventricular zone (SVZ) involvement was significantly associated with non-local recurrence (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.09 [1.08–4.05]). Tumors in contact with the trigone of the lateral ventricle tended to develop subependymal dissemination (p = 0.008). Ventricular opening via surgery did not increase the risk of non-local recurrence in patients with SVZ involvement (p = 0.190). A systematic review was performed to investigate the risk of non-local recurrence, and 21 studies were identified. A meta-analysis of previous studies confirmed SVZ involvement (odds ratio [OR]: 1.30 [1.01–1.67]) and O-6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase promoter methylation (OR: 1.55 [1.09–2.20]) as significant risk factors for local recurrence. A time-dependent meta-analysis revealed a significant association between SVZ involvement and dissemination (HR: 1.69 [1.09–2.63]), while no significant association was found for distant recurrence (HR: 1.29 [0.74–2.27]). Understanding SVZ involvement and specific tumor locations associated with non-local recurrence provides critical insights for the management of GBM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Outcomes in Glioblastoma Patients: From Diagnosis to Palliation)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop