Red blood cell distribution width in glioblastoma

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Hematology
• Oncology

Background:

• Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and lethal primary brain tumor in adults.
• Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has shown prognostic significance in various cancers and inflammatory conditions.
• The prognostic role of RDW in GBM, particularly concerning pre-operative values and longitudinal trends, remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prognostic value of pre-operative red blood cell distribution width (RDW) for overall survival in glioblastoma (GBM) patients.
• To analyze the trends of RDW over the disease course in GBM patients.
• To explore the association between RDW dynamics and survival outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 346 adult GBM patients diagnosed between April 2003 and May 2017.
• Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the prognostic value of pre-operative RDW, with and without adjustment for clinical variables.
• Linear mixed models and post-hoc analyses examined RDW variation over time and leading up to death.

Main Results:

• Pre-operative RDW did not significantly improve the prognostic value of existing clinical variables for overall survival in GBM.
• A consistent upward trend in RDW was observed throughout the post-operative disease course.
• Exploratory analysis revealed an increasing RDW trend preceding the time of death.

Conclusions:

• Pre-operative RDW is not a significant prognostic biomarker for survival in glioblastoma patients.
• The observed upward trend in RDW suggests potential systemic inflammatory responses associated with GBM or its treatments.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the clinical implications of RDW dynamics in GBM management.