Hypofractionated radiotherapy for elderly or younger low-performance status glioblastoma patients: outcome and prognostic factors.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome for elderly or younger poor prognosis glioblastoma patients treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy (HypoRT).


METHODS
Retrospective review at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center identified 59 glioblastoma patients (median age 65 years) treated with HypoRT between 1988 and 2001 with 50 Gy given at 2.5 Gy/fraction/day in 20 fractions within 4 weeks. Classification was according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis and was Class IV in 11, V in 29, and VI in 19. Surgery consisted of gross total resection (n = 16), subtotal resection (n = 28), and biopsy only (n = 13). Two patients were treated presumptively on the basis of radiographic findings. Chemotherapy was given either as part of the initial treatment (n = 15) or for progression (n = 9).


RESULTS
The median survival time for the entire study population was 7 months, and the median progression-free survival was 3.9 months. The median survival time for patients with Class IV, V, and VI was 11, 7, and 5 months, respectively. Concordance was found with Radiation Therapy Oncology Group-established recursive partitioning analysis class survival. Steroid requirements were not increased during RT compared with preoperatively and immediately postoperatively. Late complications of HypoRT were limited to 3 cases of radiation necrosis suggested by MRI, 2 of which were pathologically confirmed.


CONCLUSIONS
HypoRT consisting of 50 Gy in 4 weeks can be used for selected GBM patients to reduce the overall treatment time of conventional RT by 33-39% without apparent increased toxicity or decrement in survival.
Chang
Eric L
EL
Division of Radiation Oncology, Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. echang@mdanderson.org
Yi
Won
W
Allen
Pamela K
PK
Levin
Victor A
VA
Sawaya
Raymond E
RE
Maor
Moshe H
MH
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate