gms | German Medical Science

27th German Cancer Congress Berlin 2006

German Cancer Society (Frankfurt/M.)

22. - 26.03.2006, Berlin

Article

Send article

Surviving glioblastoma for more than 5 years: the patients´ perspective

Meeting Abstract

Search Medline for

  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Joachim Steinbach - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen, Deutschland
  • Hans-Peter Blaicher - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Ulrich Herrlinger - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Wolfgang Wick - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Thomas Nägele - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Richard Meyermann - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Marcos Tatagiba - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Michael Bamberg - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Johannes Dichgans - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Hans-Otto Karnath - Universitätsklinikum, Tübingen
  • Michael Weller

27. Deutscher Krebskongress. Berlin, 22.-26.03.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. DocPO274

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dkk2006/06dkk384.shtml

Published: March 20, 2006

© 2006 Steinbach et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

Purpose: Only 2-5% of patients survive 5 years from the diagnosis of glioblastoma. In this study, we investigated the functional outcome of glioblastoma survivors from a single institution.

Patients and Methods: Ten patients with a median survival of 94 months (range 60-120 months) after the diagnosis of glioblastoma, confirmed by neuropathological reassessment, were identified. A comprehensive analysis of clinical variables, imaging data, neuropsychological function and quality of life was performed.

Results: At reassessment, neurological deficits were mild to moderate in most patients, but neuropsychological testing demonstrated cognitive defects in all patients. Depression and anxiety were common. Many dimensions of quality of life were affected, in particular those related to social functioning and work. In contrast, little reduction in mean global health status and overall quality of life was perceived. One patient is working full time, and two patients gave birth to healthy children 52 and 67 months after the diagnosis.

Conclusion: The majority of the overall few glioblastoma patients with long-term survival suffer significant impairment. Therefore, in addition to the development of more effective therapies, novel strategies aiming at the maintenance or recovery of neurological and cognitive function and the diminution of neurotoxic side effects of treatment are urgently needed.

Research support: This study was supported by the Jaqueline Seroussi Memorial Foundation.