Neurosurgical patterns of care for diffuse low-grade gliomas in Sweden between 2005 and 2015

Congress of Neurological Surgeons systematic review and evidence-based guidelines for the role of surgery in the management of patients with diffuse low grade glioma: update

Target populationAdults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse gliomas (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas)QuestionIn adults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse gliomas (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas), does surgical resection improve overall survival compared to observation or biopsy?Updated Recommendation from the Prior Version of These Guidelines:Level III: In adults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse gliomas (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas), surgical resection is suggested over observation or biopsy to improve overall survival.Question Q2In adults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse gliomas (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas), does maximal surgical resection improve progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to subtotal resection/biopsy?Unchanged Recommendations from the Prior Version of These GuidelinesLevel II It is recommended that GTR or STR be accomplished instead of biopsy alone when safe and feasible so as to decrease the frequency of tumor progression recognizing that the rate of progression after GTR is fairly high.Level III Greater extent of resection can improve OS in WHO grade II diffuse gliomas patients. New RecommendationsLevel III: It is suggested that extent of resection be maximized as is safely possible for IDH mutant and IDHwt WHO grade II diffuse gliomas. to improve PFS and OS. Level III: There is insufficient evidence that greater extent of resection of 1p19q codeleted oligodendrogliomas (WHO grade II diffuse gliomas) improves OS Question Q3In adults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse gliomas (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas), does the addition of intraoperative MRI and/or intraoperative ultrasound during surgery improve extent of resection?Unchanged Recommendation from the Prior Version of These GuidelinesLevel III: The use of intraoperative MRI is suggested to increase the extent of resection for adults with WHO grade II diffuse glioma.New RecommendationLevel III: The use of intraoperative ultrasound is suggested to increase the extent of resection compared to conventional surgery for adults with WHO grade II diffuse glioma.Question 4In adults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse glioma (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas) with seizures, does maximal surgical resection improve seizure control compared to observation or subtotal resection/biopsy?Updated Recommendation from the Prior Version of These GuidelinesLevel III: In adults with imaging consistent with a WHO Grade II diffuse glioma who present with seizure activity, surgical resection of greater than 90% of the lesion, when it can be accomplished safely, is suggested over observation or lesser extent of resection/biopsy to improve seizure control.New Questions and RecommendationsQuestion 5In adults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse glioma (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas), does use of intraoperative fluorescent guided surgery improve extent of resection?RecommendationLevel III: Intraoperative fluorescent guided surgery with 5-ALA is not suggested to improve the extent of resection for WHO grade II gliomas.Question 6In adults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse glioma (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas) in eloquent brain cortex, does awake craniotomy or other methods of intraoperative mapping increase extent of resection compared to conventional surgery without these techniques?RecommendationLevel III: It is suggested that awake craniotomy and other methods of intraoperative mapping can be used to increase the extent of resection for adults with WHO grade II diffuse glioma.Question 7In adults with imaging suggestive of a WHO grade II diffuse glioma (oligodendrogliomas or astrocytomas) in eloquent brain cortex, does use of advanced preoperative imaging modalities in the form of fMRI and/or DTI decrease surgical morbidity?RecommendationLevel III: The use of functional MRI and DTI related modalities are suggested to decrease surgical morbidity in adults with WHO grade II diffuse glioma.

Evolving Practice and Outcomes in Grade 2 Glioma: Real-World Data from a Multi-Institutional Registry

Background: Grade-2 gliomas (G2-glioma) are uncommon. In 2016, RTOG9802 established the addition of chemotherapy after radiation (CRT) as a new standard of care for patients with high-risk G2-glioma, defined as subtotal resection or age ≥40 yrs. Here, we report current practices using real-world data. Methods: Patients diagnosed with G2-glioma from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2022 were identified in BRAIN, a prospective clinical registry collecting data on patients with brain tumours. High- and low-risk were defined as per RTOG9802. Two time periods, January 2016-December 2019 (TP1) and January 2020-December 2022 (TP2), were defined. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: 224 patients were identified. Overall, 38 (17%) were low-risk, with 35 (91%) observed without further treatment. A total of 186 (83%) were high-risk, with 96 (52%) observed, 63 (34%) receiving CRT, and 19 (10%) receiving radiation. Over time, CRT use increased (TP1 vs. TP2: 22% vs. 36%, p = 0.004), and the rate of biopsy (TP1 vs. TP2: 35% vs. 20%, p = 0.02) and radiotherapy alone (TP1 vs. TP2: 14% vs. 4%, p = 0.01) decreased. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in high-risk patients who received CRT (NR) over observation (39 months) (HR 0.49, p = 0.007). In high-risk patients who were observed, 59 (61%) were progression-free at 12 months and 10 (10%) at 5 years. OS data remains immature. Conclusions: Congruent with RTOG9802, real-world BRAIN data shows CRT is associated with improved PFS compared to observation in high-risk G2-glioma. Whilst CRT use has increased over time, observation after surgery remains the most common strategy, with some high-risk patients achieving clinically meaningful PFS. Validated biomarkers are urgently required to better inform patient management.

Classification of Adverse Events Following Surgery in Patients With Diffuse Lower-Grade Gliomas

Background

Recently, the Therapy-Disability-Neurology (TDN) was introduced as a multidimensional reporting system to detect adverse events in neurosurgery. The aim of this study was to compare the novel TDN score with the Landriel–Ibanez classification (LIC) grade in a large cohort of patients with diffuse lower-grade glioma (dLGG). Since the TDN score lacks validation against patient-reported outcomes, we described health-related quality of life (HRQoL) change in relation to TDN scores in a subset of patients.

Methods

We screened adult patients with a surgically treated dLGG World Health Organization (WHO) grade 2 and 3 between 2010 and 2020. Up until 2017, it consists of a retrospective cohort (n = 158). From 2017 and onwards, HRQoL was registered using EuroQoL-5-dimension, three levels of response (EQ-5D 3L) questionnaire at baseline and 3 months follow-up, in a prospectively recruited cohort (n = 102). Both the LIC grade and TDN score were used to classify adverse events.

Results

In total, 231 patients were included. In 110/231 (47.6%) of the surgical procedures, a postoperative complication was registered. When comparing the TDN score to LIC grades, only a minor shift towards complications of higher order could be observed. EQ-5D 3L was reported for 45 patients. Patients with complications related to surgery had pre- to postoperative changes in EQ-5D 3L index values (n = 27; mean 0.03, 95% CI −0.06 to 0.11) that were comparable to patients without complications (n = 18; mean −0.06, 95% CI −0.21 to 0.08). In contrast, patients with new-onset neurological deficit had a deterioration in HRQoL at follow-up, with a mean change in the EQ-5D 3L index value of 0.11 (n = 13, 95% CI 0.0 to 0.22) compared to −0.06 (n = 32, 95% CI −0.15 to 0.03) for all other patients.

Conclusions

In patients with dLGG, TDN scores compared to the standard LIC tend to capture more adverse events of higher order. There was no clear relation between TDN severity and HRQoL. However, new-onset neurological deficit caused impairment in HRQoL. For the TDN score to better align with patient-reported outcomes, more emphasis on neurological deficit and function should be considered.

Adult Diffuse Low-Grade Gliomas: 35-Year Experience at the Nancy France Neurooncology Unit

Background

To report survival, spontaneous prognostic factors, and treatment efficacy in a French monocentric cohort of diffuse low-grade glioma (DLGG) patients over 35 years of follow-up.

Methods

A monocentric retrospective study of 339 patients diagnosed with a new DLGG between 01/01/1982 and 01/01/2017 was created. Inclusion criteria were patient age ≥18 years at diagnosis and histological diagnosis of WHO grade II glioma (according to 1993, 2007, and 2016 WHO classifications). The survival parameters were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method with a 95% confidence interval. Differences in survival were tested for statistical significance by the log-rank test. Factors were considered significant when p ≤ 0.1 and p ≤ 0.05 in the univariate and multivariate analyses, respectively.

Results

A total of 339 patients were included with a median follow-up of 8.7 years. The Kaplan-Meier median overall survival was 15.7 years. At the time of radiological diagnosis, Karnofsky Performance Status score and initial tumor volume were significant independent prognostic factors. Oncological prognostic factors were the extent of resection for patients who underwent surgery and the timing of radiotherapy for those concerned. In this study, patients who had delayed radiotherapy (provided remaining low grade) did not have worse survival compared with patients who had early radiotherapy. The functional capabilities of the patients were preserved enough so that they could remain independent during at least three quarters of the follow-up.

Conclusion

This large monocentric series spread over a long time clarifies the effects of different therapeutic strategies and their combination in the management of DLGG.

Return to work following diagnosis of low-grade glioma: A nationwide matched cohort study

Objective

Return-to-work (RTW) following diagnosis of infiltrative low-grade gliomas is unknown.

Methods

Swedish patients with histopathologic verified WHO grade II diffuse glioma diagnosed between 2005 and 2015 were included. Data were acquired from several Swedish registries. A total of 381 patients aged 18–60 were eligible. A matched control population (n = 1,900) was acquired. Individual data on sick leave, compensations, comorbidity, and treatments assigned were assessed. Predictors were explored using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

One year before surgery/index date, 88% of cases were working, compared to 91% of controls. The proportion of controls working remained constant, while patients had a rapid increase in sick leave approximately 6 months prior to surgery. After 1 and 2 years, respectively, 52% and 63% of the patients were working. Predictors for no RTW after 1 year were previous sick leave (odds ratio [OR] 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88–0.96, p < 0.001), older age (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.99, p = 0.005), and lower functional level (OR 0.64 95% CI, 0.45–0.91 p = 0.01). Patients receiving adjuvant treatment were less likely to RTW within the first year. At 2 years, biopsy (as opposed to resection), female sex, and comorbidity were also unfavorable, while age and adjuvant treatment were no longer significant.

Conclusions

Approximately half of patients RTW within the first year. Lower functional status, previous sick leave, older age, and adjuvant treatment were risk factors for no RTW at 1 year after surgery. Female sex, comorbidity, and biopsy only were also unfavorable for RTW at 2 years.

Advancements in predicting outcomes in patients with glioma: a surgical perspective

Introduction: Diffuse glioma is a challenging neurosurgical entity. Although surgery does not provide a cure, it may greatly influence survival, brain function, and quality of life. Surgical treatment is by nature highly personalized and outcome prediction is very complex. To engage and succeed in this balancing act it is important to make best use of the information available to the neurosurgeon.Areas covered: This narrative review provides an update on advancements in predicting outcomes in patients with glioma that are relevant to neurosurgeons.Expert opinion: The classical 'gut feeling' is notoriously unreliable and better prediction strategies for patients with glioma are warranted. There are numerous tools readily available for the neurosurgeon in predicting tumor biology and survival. Predicting extent of resection, functional outcome, and quality of life remains difficult. Although machine-learning approaches are currently not readily available in daily clinical practice, there are several ongoing efforts with the use of big data sets that are likely to create new prediction models and refine the existing models.