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The Clinical Application of Tumor Treating Fields Therapy in Glioblastoma
Published on: April 16, 2019
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Tumor-treating fields as a fourth treating modality for glioblastoma: a meta-analysis
Dimitrios E Magouliotis1, Eftihia K Asprodini2, Konstantina A Svokos3
1Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, Greece. dmagouliotis@gmail.com.
Acta Neurochirurgica
|April 27, 2018
Summary
Tumor-treating fields (TTFields) significantly improve survival outcomes for glioblastoma patients when combined with radio chemotherapy. This novel treatment also shows a favorable safety profile with fewer adverse events compared to conventional chemotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Medical Physics
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor with limited treatment options.
- Conventional radio chemotherapy offers modest survival benefits.
- Novel therapeutic approaches are needed to improve patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and compare the efficacy and safety of tumor-treating fields (TTFields) plus radio chemotherapy versus conventional radio chemotherapy alone in glioblastoma patients.
- To synthesize evidence from existing literature to inform clinical practice and future research.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases.
- Adherence to PRISMA guidelines for study selection and data extraction.
- Inclusion of six studies with 1806 patients for qualitative and 1769 for quantitative analysis.
Main Results:
- TTFields demonstrated significant improvements in median overall survival (WMD 3.29 years) and progression-free survival (WMD 2.35 months).
- Survival rates at 1 and 2 years were significantly higher in the TTFields group (OR 1.81 and 2.33, respectively).
- TTFields were associated with fewer adverse events compared to chemotherapy, with similar skin irritation rates.
Conclusions:
- Tumor-treating fields (TTFields) represent a safe and effective novel treatment modality for glioblastoma.
- Further randomized controlled studies with longer follow-up are warranted to fully elucidate the clinical benefits of TTFields.
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