Improved Survival with Decreased Wait Time to Surgery in Glioblastoma Patients Presenting with Seizure

Preoperative seizure is reported to confer favorable prognosis in glioblastoma patients, but studies to date have not investigated how broadly applicable seizure is as a prognostic factor.

To investigate if prompter surgical intervention affects the relationship between preoperative seizure and prognosis in glioblastoma patients, focusing on the development of tumor growth and/or additional preoperative symptoms after seizure.

Retrospective analysis of 443 patients (mean age = 60.2; 60% male) undergoing first glioblastoma resection at our institution (2005-2011).

Preoperative seizure(s) occurred in 28% of patients (n = 124), of which 63 (51%) had only seizure at presentation. Patients experiencing seizure as their only preoperative symptom ("seizure-only"; n = 45) survived over twice as long as patients who presented with seizure and then later developed additional preoperative symptoms (n = 18; "other symptoms postseizure"; 26.8 vs 10.2 months, P < .001) and patients without preoperative seizure ("no seizure"; 26.8 vs 13.1 months, P < .001). Multivariate stepwise analysis revealed preoperative seizures only (hazard ratio 0.54 [0.37-0.75]; P < .001) to be independently associated with increased survival. Longer wait time from presentation (ie, diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging) to surgery was a risk factor for developing additional symptoms. Eleven "other symptoms postseizure" patients (69%) vs 6 of the "seizure-only" patients (15%) had wait times >45 days (P < .001).

Seizure as the only preoperative symptom independently improved survival, however, when patients developed additional preoperative symptoms, typically due to surgical delay, no prognostic benefit was observed. Prompt diagnosis and neurosurgical intervention is warranted in patients with seizures without other preoperative symptoms to preserve their favorable prognosis.