Temozolamide as an adjuvant in glioblastoma. How long? The experience of a cancer center in Colombia

Abstract Introduction: glioblastoma multiforme is considered to be highly lethal, for which the optimal duration of adjuvant temozolamide chemotherapy has not been determined. Objective: to evaluate survival according to the length of adjuvant chemotherapy based on the standard Stupp platform protocol. Materials and methods: a retrospective cohort analysis of 299 high-grade central nervous system tumors seen at Oncólogos del Occidente, focused solely on glioblastoma multiforme, according to clinical, treatment and outcome variables. Results: one hundred ninety-three patients with glioblastoma; 84 (44%) received standard Stupp platform treatment; mean age 54 years; 55% males; mean tumor size 28,793 mm2; 48% right hemisphere; 21% crossed the midline; 33% had seizures and 42% neurological deficit; 55% Karnofsky less than 70% and 66% RPA IV classification; 77% received radiation with 60.00 Gy or more; 19% had complications; 79% partial resection and 12% total resection; 77% relapsed; at closure, 57% were alive, global survival of 26% and mean of 26 months, with a difference of 31 months for adjuvance of 6 months and 30 months for adjuvance of 12 months, without reaching a median in the 18 and 24 month groups, all of them favoring the group with the longest time. Conclusion: a clear increase in survival is shown with adjuvant temozolamide for periods longer than six months, as well as a tendency towards better results with increased duration of adjuvance.