Glioblastoma in the oldest old: clinical characteristics, therapy and outcome in patients aged 80 years and older

Abstract Background Incidence rates of glioblastoma in very old patients are rising. The standard of care for this cohort is only partially defined and survival remains poor. The aims of this study were to reveal current practice of tumor-specific therapy and supportive care, and to identify predictors for survival in this cohort. Methods Patients aged 80 years or older at the time of glioblastoma diagnosis were retrospectively identified in six clinical centers in Switzerland and France. Demographics, clinical parameters and survival outcomes were annotated from patient charts. Cox proportional hazards modeling was performed to identify parameters associated with survival. Results Of 107 patients, 45 were diagnosed by biopsy, 30 underwent subtotal resection and 25 had gross total resection. In 7 patients, the extent of resection was not specified. Post-operatively, 34 patients did not receive further tumor-specific treatment. Twelve patients received radiotherapy with concomitant temozolomide, but only 2 patients had maintenance temozolomide therapy. Fourteen patients received temozolomide alone, 35 patients radiotherapy alone, one patient received bevacizumab and one took part in a clinical trial. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.3 months and median overall survival (OS) was 4.2 months. Among patients who received any postoperative treatment, median PFS was 3.9 months and median OS was 7.2 months. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≥ 70%, gross total resection and combination therapy were associated with better outcome. The median time spent hospitalized was 30 days, accounting for 23% of the median OS. End of life care was mostly provided by nursing homes (n = 20; 32%) and palliative care wards (n = 16; 26%). Conclusions In this cohort of very old patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, a large proportion was treated with best supportive care. Treatment beyond surgery and, in particular, combined modality treatment were associated with longer OS and may be considered for selected patients even at higher ages.