Reduced Clinical Target Volume Margins in Glioblastoma: Exploratory Evidence Supporting Further Margin Reduction...

Background: Clinical target volume (CTV) delineation in glioblastoma remains debated, particularly in the era of modern chemoradiation and image-guided radiotherapy. Whether reduced CTV margins can preserve oncological outcomes without increasing marginal or out-of-field failures remains uncertain. We evaluated the association of the gross tumor volume (GTV)-to-CTV margin with survival, patterns of failure, and its interaction with O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a single-center cohort of patients with glioblastoma treated with conventionally fractionated chemoradiation (58-60 Gy in 29-33 fractions). Patients were categorized into two predefined margin groups: <1.5 cm and 1.5 cm. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and patterns of failure. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression, including an interaction term with MGMT status. Results: Among 102 eligible patients, 95 were included in the margin-based OS analysis. Reduced margins (<1.5 cm; applied range 1.0-1.4 cm) were not associated with worse OS, either overall or within MGMT subgroups. No significant differences were observed in PFS or recurrence patterns, with overlapping distributions and no increase in marginal or out-of-field recurrences. MGMT methylation and gross total resection were independently associated with improved survival, while no statistically significant interaction between margin and MGMT status was detected. Conclusions: In this retrospective exploratory cohort, reduced GTV-to-CTV margins were not associated with a clear signal of worse survival or less favorable recurrence patterns. These findings are consistent with the oncological adequacy of margins around 15 mm and justify cautious prospective evaluation of whether further reduction can be achieved safely, including formal assessment of toxicity, neurocognitive outcomes, and quality of life.