Genes Predicting Survival of Chordoma Patients

A chordoma is a slow-growing, invasive neoplasm in the neuraxis that is thought to arise from notochordal cells. At 10-year follow-up, the average survival rate is 50%, though individual prognosis varies substantially. We aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the genes and proteins expressed in these tumors and their prognostic value to facilitate prognostication for patients with chordoma.

A systematic search of clinical studies that investigated expressed factors related to chordoma survival was performed in PubMed. Data extracted included RNA and protein expression data and prognostic value (in terms of overall survival, progression-free survival, disease-free survival, and recurrence-free survival) from univariate and multivariate analyses.

This review included 78 original studies that collectively evaluated 134 expressed factors. Of these molecular factors, 96 by univariate analysis and 32 by multivariate analysis had a predictive value for patient survival. Of the molecular factors studied in multivariate analyses, 26 factors had a negative effect while 6 had a positive effect on patient survival.

Identification of molecular factors that are associated with survival contributes to better prognostication of patients with chordoma. Given the rarity of chordoma, often only univariate analyses can be performed. Robust multivariate analyses are scarcer but provide independently significant prognostic factors. The data presented in this review can aid in prognostication for the individual patient and facilitate the development of targeted therapies.