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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Quantitative Immunohistochemistry of the Cellular Microenvironment in Patient Glioblastoma Resections
Published on: July 31, 2017
The survival impact of postoperative infection in patients with glioblastoma multiforme
Leif-Erik Bohman1, Jade Gallardo, Todd C Hankinson
1Department of Neurological Surgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. Leif-Erik.Bohman@uphs.upenn.edu
Objective:
The capacity for local infection to prolong survival in patients with cancer is a widely accepted but unsubstantiated principle. The neurosurgical literature contains anecdotal reports of patients with malignant gliomas who experienced prolonged remission of their tumors after a bacterial infection. This association has not been explored in a larger series of patients with malignant glioma with postoperative infections.
Methods:
A single-center operative experience accumulated over 10 years was examined to evaluate whether postoperative infections conferred a survival advantage in patients with glioblastoma multiforme. A total of 382 patients were examined, and 18 bacterial infections were identified. The vast majority (17 cases, 94%) of these were gram-positive infections. Cases were compared with age-matched controls. Survival differences were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves, and other differences were tested using the Mann-Whitney U test.
Results:
Cases and controls were younger and survived longer than the overall study sample, but cases and controls were similar at baseline. A moderate, statistically insignificant survival advantage was seen in the case group (Kaplan-Meier P = 0.27). However, when patients with infections in the first quarter and first half of their postoperative survival were examined, this survival advantage disappeared. There was no significant survival difference in any subgroup analyzed, including deep infections, bone flap infections, or infections caused by any specific organism.
Conclusion:
In this single-center study, postoperative infection did not confer any survival advantage in patients with glioblastoma multiforme.
Insights
Postoperative bacterial infections in glioblastoma multiforme patients did not improve survival. This study found no survival advantage in patients experiencing infections, regardless of infection type or location.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Infectious Disease
Background:
- The principle that local infections may prolong cancer survival is widely accepted but lacks robust evidence.
- Anecdotal reports suggest bacterial infections may lead to prolonged remission in malignant glioma patients.
- This association has not been systematically investigated in a larger cohort of patients with malignant glioma and postoperative infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if postoperative infections confer a survival advantage in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
- To investigate the association between bacterial infections and survival outcomes in GBM patients.
Main Methods:
- A 10-year single-center retrospective study of 382 glioblastoma multiforme patients.
- Identification and analysis of 18 cases with postoperative bacterial infections (17 gram-positive).
- Comparison with age-matched controls using Kaplan-Meier curves and Mann-Whitney U tests.
Main Results:
- Patients with infections and controls were similar at baseline, though slightly younger and with longer survival than the overall sample.
- A moderate, statistically insignificant survival advantage was observed in the infection group (P = 0.27).
- This survival advantage diminished when analyzing early postoperative infections and was absent in all subgroups, including deep infections, bone flap infections, or specific organisms.
Conclusions:
- Postoperative bacterial infection does not confer a survival advantage in patients with glioblastoma multiforme.
- The findings do not support the hypothesis that infection can prolong survival in GBM patients.
