Abstract
Abstract BACKGROUND The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides healthcare for U.S. military Veterans, including specialized care for glioblastoma (GBM). This study aimed to understand patterns of care and outcomes for Veterans with GBM. METHODS We derived a retrospective cohort of U.S. Veterans with histological diagnosis of GBM in 2000-2021 from the VHA cancer registry system (CRS), with follow-up times through May 31, 2022. Data sources were patient-level electronic health records, CRS, and other data from the VHA corporate data warehouse. Using descriptive statistics, we describe demographics, treatments, clinical outcomes, referral patterns, and overall survival (OS). RESULTS We identified 3,802 Veterans with GBM (median per year = 176, range 76-225). Among the 465 veterans diagnosed in 2018-2021, 192 (41%) had unknown IDH mutational status. The median age at diagnosis was 66 years (range 20-101), most were male (97%), non-Hispanic (78%) and white (70%). 32% were considered rural and 2% highly rural. 71% received radiation and 61% (n = 2,301) received systemic therapy with the most common being temozolomide (96%), bevacizumab (16%), and lomustine (6%). First use of Novo-TTF was February 2020 with a total of 25 total users to-date. Between 2018-2021, 57% (range 54-63%) of veterans received cancer-related community referrals (i.e. medical oncology, radiation oncology, or neurosurgery). The yearly rate of palliative care referrals remained ≥40% since 2008 and was highest in 2021 (64%). Median OS was 6.9 months (95% CI:6.6-7.3). CONCLUSIONS Using the largest cohort of Veterans with GBM, we identified gaps in molecular testing data and note a large fraction that received community care referrals. Patterns of cancer-directed therapy appear consistent with best practices, although the unadjusted median OS for Veterans was shorter than reported in other populations. In response to these findings, VHA is developing strategies to improve access, quality and research for Veterans with GBM.
Published Version
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