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Survival in malignant astrocytoma at King Khalid University Hospital
A Jamjoom1, Z A Jamjoom, S El-Watidy
1Departments of Neurosurgery and Pathology, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Survival for malignant astrocytoma is poor. Factors like female gender, younger age, and re-operation significantly improve survival rates for these brain tumor patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Neurosurgery
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Malignant astrocytomas (Kernohan grades III and IV) are aggressive brain tumors with poor prognoses.
- Identifying prognostic factors is crucial for improving patient outcomes in Saudi Arabia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate factors influencing survival in malignant astrocytoma patients.
- To analyze outcomes in a Saudi Arabian cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 76 malignant astrocytoma cases treated over ten years.
- Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess prognostic factors.
Main Results:
- Overall two-year survival rate was 28%.
- Significantly better survival observed in females, patients ≤50 years, and those undergoing re-operation for recurrence.
- Favorable trends (non-significant) noted for grade III tumors, Karnofsky score ≥70, craniotomy with excision, and radiotherapy.
Conclusions:
- Aggressive surgical intervention combined with radiotherapy and potentially chemotherapy is recommended.
- Optimizing treatment strategies may improve outcomes for malignant astrocytoma patients.
Abstract:
Malignant astrocytoma (Kernohan grade III and IV) still has one of the worst outcomes of all malignant tumors. To determine factors affecting the survival of patients with malignant astrocytoma in Saudi Arabia, a retrospective study of 76 cases that were treated at King Khalid University Hospital over one decade was carried out. Kaplan-Meier survival diagrams were constructed for each prognostic factor. Twenty-eight percent of cases survived two years. A significantly better survival rate was found in females, patients /=70 at presentation, patients who had craniotomy and excision and patients who had radiotherapy. It is suggested that to improve the outcome of patients with malignant astrocytoma, aggressive surgical excision with radiotherapy (and possibly chemotherapy) is required.
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