Analysis of Overall Survival in High-Grade Glioma Patients Treated With Surgery and Adjuvant Therapy

Background High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are brain tumors that are aggressive and grow quickly. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common, severe, and aggressive subtype of these. Maximal safe resection is the standard course of treatment, which is followed by concomitant radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. It still has a dismal prognosis and is lethal despite contemporary treatments. The objective of the study is to analyze the median overall survival for GBM patients who underwent primary surgery and adjuvant chemoradiation. Materials and methods This was a single-institution retrospective study of 72 patients with HGGs from 2017 to 2022. Data regarding patient factors (age, gender), disease factors (grade, histology), treatment factors (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy), and follow-up information were collected from patient records, and survival was calculated. Results A total of 72 patients with HGG were analyzed, and the male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Maximum patients had grade IV glioma (55%), and 85% of the patients presented with a performance score of 1 or 2. Radiation dose was 60 Gy, and chemotherapy used was temozolomide. After completion of the treatment, 59% of the patients presented with progression at the median progression-free survival (PFS) of eight months. The median overall survival was 15 months (95% CI). Females constituted 45.0% (n=8) of survivors, suggesting a trend toward better survival in females. Grade III and oligodendroglioma histology were associated with better survival. Conclusion Overall survival in GBM patients remains poor despite constant research and studies. Maximum safe resection followed by adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation and adjuvant temozolomide has shown improvement in overall survival.