title: [Adjuvant radiochemotherapy in the elderly affected by glioblastoma: single-institution experience and literature review].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Radiochemotherapy (RCT) is the standard adjuvant treatment for patients affected by glioblastoma (GBM). As there is no evidence in elderly patients with GBM, combined, single modality or best supportive care is used. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate acute toxicity and outcome of elderly patients with GBM treated with RCT with temozolomide (TMZ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients >65 years with newly diagnosed GBM who underwent surgery or biopsy and RCT were evaluated. Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) class and National Cancer Institute--Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) version 3 were used to classify patients and evaluate acute toxicity, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From April 2005 to January 2011, 35 patients (18 women and 17 men) with GBM were treated at our institution. Only 31.43% of cases underwent complete resection. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8 months and median overall survival (OS) 13 months. At univariate and multivariate analysis, only RPA class correlated with OS (p=0.01, p=0.03, respectively). During RCT, toxicity was mild (thrombocytopaenia G3-4, 11.43%; neurological toxicity, G3-4, 8.57%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that RCT with TMZ seems to produce a better outcome with a mild toxicity profile in elderly patients affected by GBM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, I.R.C.C.S.-C.R.O.B., Via S. Pio 1, 85028, Rionero in Vulture (PZ), Italy. albafiorentino@hotmail.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiumento
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caivano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cozzolino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pedicini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fusco
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D000077204:Temozolomide; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D003606:Dacarbazine; D000077204:Temozolomide