Butterfly Glioblastoma: Genetic alterations and outcomes

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Genomics
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Butterfly glioblastoma (bGBM) is an aggressive glioblastoma (GBM) variant characterized by corpus callosum invasion.
• The reasons for bGBM's poor prognosis, whether anatomical or molecular, are not fully understood.
• Identifying specific genetic features and prognostic factors in bGBM is crucial for understanding its aggressive nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the genetic characteristics of butterfly glioblastoma (bGBM).
• To identify clinical and molecular factors associated with the prognosis of bGBM.
• To compare genetic profiles and survival outcomes between bGBM and non-butterfly glioblastoma (non-bGBM).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of glioblastoma (GBM) patients from an institutional database.
• Classification of patients into butterfly glioblastoma (bGBM) and non-butterfly glioblastoma (non-bGBM) groups.
• Comparison of clinical features, genomic profiles, and survival outcomes using statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• Confusion was a more frequent presenting symptom in bGBM patients (p=0.005).
• bGBM tumors were less likely to invade temporal lobes (p=0.0004).
• bGBM showed higher mutation rates in CDK6, PIK3R1, and TSC2, though not statistically significant after multiple comparisons adjustment. Median overall survival was significantly shorter for bGBM (9 months) compared to non-bGBM (18 months, p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• This study offers new insights into the genetic makeup of butterfly glioblastoma (bGBM).
• The findings highlight potential molecular differences contributing to bGBM's aggressive behavior and poor prognosis.
• Larger cohort studies are necessary to validate these genetic findings and deepen the understanding of bGBM molecular features.