title: Coincidence vs cause: cure in three glioblastoma patients treated with brachytherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very long term survival after diagnosis of malignant glioma has been described in individual case reports. Survival of more than 10 years is extremely rare, especially when identified in 3 out of 71 patients assigned to one arm of a randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients survived 11, 16, and 18 years following the diagnosis of glioblastoma and treatment with surgery, conventional fractionated radiation, and high-activity iodine-125 boost brachytherapy as part of a randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite this apparent cause and effect relationship, statistical analysis shows no relationship between these cures and treatment with brachytherapy. Cure of glioblastoma remains rare.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Amir R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dehdashti
authors.forename: Sunjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Normand
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laperriere
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001918:Brachytherapy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors; D016896:Treatment Outcome