[Short course radiotherapy in elderly patients with high-grade glioma].
OBJECTIVE
There is no standard therapy for elderly patients with high-grade glioma. We have adopted short course radiotherapy for such patients since 2005. The efficacy of this therapy was assessed retrospectively.


METHODS
This study reviewed 16 newly diagnosed high-grade glioma patients aged 75 years or older who were treated with short course radiotherapy (focal radiation in daily fraction of 3 Gy given 5 days per week, for a total dose of 39 Gy).


RESULTS
All patients received 100% of the planed radiation dose. No patients received prior or concomitant chemotherapy. Thirteen patients had died and median follow-up period was 9 months at the time of analysis. The median age at surgery was 79 years (range 75-86). The estimated median overall survival was 9.6 months. The median Karnofsky Performance Status on admission was 60% (range 40-90) and at discharge was 60% (range 40-80). The median length of hospital stay was 38 days (range 19-61). There is no severe adverse events related to radiation therapy. The rate of discharge to home was 69%.


CONCLUSIONS
Short course radiotherapy can reduce the treatment time and adverse events of conventional radiotherapy without decrement in survival. This therapy seems to be a considerable treatment option for elderly patients with high-grade glioma.
Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Aoki
Manabu
M
Natsumeda
Eisuke
E
Abe
Takeo
T
Uzuka
Tsutomu
T
Kobayashi
Hidefumi
H
Aoyama
Yukihiko
Y
Fujii
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011379:Prognosis; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors