Prognosis of cerebellar glioblastomas: correlation between prognosis and immunoreactivity for epidermal growth factor receptor compared with supratentorial glioblastomas.
BACKGROUND
Cerebellar glioblastomas (GBM) are rare tumors whose clinicopathological characteristics are not well understood.


METHODS
Clinico-immunohistochemical findings were retrospectively analyzed in 43 supratentorial- and 7 cerebellar GBM. The correlation between survival and immunopositivity for p53, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Ki-67 in these tumors was statistically analyzed and compared.


RESULTS
Of the 43 patients with supratentorial GBM, 27 (62.8%) were EGFR immunopositive; their survival was significantly shorter than that of the 16 EGFR-negative patients (p=0.0248). There was no significant correlation between survival and p53 immunopositivity (p=0.7870) and Ki-67 labeling index (p =0.7133). All 5 cerebellar GBM patients treated with radio- and chemotherapy were EGFR-immunonegative; they survived significantly longer than patients with supratentorial GBM (p=0.0296) possibly because their EGFR negativity rendered their tumors more highly radiosensitive.


CONCLUSIONS
The better prognosis of patients with cerebellar, EGFR-negative tumors compared to patients with supratentorial tumors is due to the higher radiosensitivity of these tumors.
Saito
Taiichi
T
Department of Neurosurgery, Hiroshima University, School of Medicine, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan. taiichi@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Hama
Seiji
S
Kajiwara
Yoshinori
Y
Sugiyama
Kazuhiko
K
Yamasaki
Fumiyuki
F
Arifin
Muhamad-Thohar
MT
Arita
Kazunori
K
Kurisu
Kaoru
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D015173:Supratentorial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; D066246:ErbB Receptors