Purpose: To evaluate efficacy and toxicity in elderly patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treated with postoperative radiochemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ).
Patients and methods: Forty-three patients aged 65 years or older were treated with postoperative with radiochemotherapy using TMZ for primary GBM. Median age at primary diagnosis was 67 years; 14 patients were female, 29 were male. A complete surgical resection was performed in 12 patients, subtotal resection in 17 patients, and biopsy only in 14 patients. Radiotherapy was applied with a median dose of 60 Gy, in a median fractionation of 5x2 Gy/wk. Thirty-five patients received concomitant TMZ at 50 mg/m2, and in 8 patients 75 mg/m2 of TMZ was applied. Adjuvant cycles of TMZ were prescribed in 5 patients only.
Results: Median overall survival was 11 months in all patients; the actuarial overall survival rate was 48% at 1 year and 8% at 2 years. Median overall survival was 18 months after complete resection, 16 months after subtotal resection, and 6 months after biopsy only. Median progression-free survival was 4 months; the actuarial progression-free survival rate was 41% at 6 months and 18% at 12 months. Radiochemotherapy was well tolerated in most patients and could be completed without interruption in 38 of 43 patients. Four patients developed hematologic side effects greater than Common Terminology Criteria Grade 2, which led to early discontinuation of TMZ in 1 patient.
Conclusions: Radiochemotherapy is safe and effective in a subgroup of elderly patients with GBM and should be considered in patients without major comorbidities.