Comparison of multi-cycle and standard-cycle temozolomide chemotherapies in patients with glioblastoma undergoing surgery and successive radiotherapy

Abstract

PurposeTo assess the clinical potential of multi-cycle temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy in patients with glioblastoma who underwent surgery and successive radiotherapy. MethodsThe clinical data of 68 glioblastoma patients who underwent surgery from January 2015 to December 2019 were collected. A total of 33 patients were treated with multi-cycle (≥9 cycles) TMZ chemotherapy (study group), while 35 patients were treated with standard-cycle (6 cycles) TMZ chemotherapy (control group). Differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between the two groups were analyzed to evaluate the effects of multi-cycle and standard-cycle TMZ chemotherapies. The survival rates of the patients in both groups were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier survival curve. ResultsThe median PFS times were 10.5 months and 7.7 months in the study and control groups, respectively (P = 0.010), while the median OS times were 27.2 and 19.8 months, respectively (P = 0.036). The 1-, 2 -, and 3-year survival rates in the control group were 77.1 %, 42.9 %, and 25.7 % while those in the study group were 87.8 % (P = 0.344), 63.6 % (P = 0.097), and 39.4 % (P = 0.302), respectively. ConclusionsThe multi-cycle TMZ chemotherapy could prolong the OS and PFS time of patients with glioblastoma undergoing surgery and successive radiotherapy. However, it could not significantly elevate the 1 -, 2 -, and 3-year survival rates of these patients.