Follow-up Study of Glioblastoma

—A Review of 179 Cases—

Abstract

In a follow-up study of 179 patients with glioblastoma verified histologically at Tohoku University Hospital during the 30 years from 1947 to 1977, we investigated the relationships between the postoperative survival rate and the operation era, sex of the patients, age of admission, duration of symptoms, location of the tumor, histological malignancy, method of resection, resection times, external decompression, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and combination of treatments. Furthermore, we listed a clinical summary in 14 cases of long-term survivals, who survived postoperatively for 5 years or more.
Of the 179 patients, 6 could not be followed up, 10 died preoperatively and 27 died within the first postoperative month. The postoperative survival rates were 55%, 24%, 12% and 4%, respectively at 1, 3, 5 and 7 years. A significantly higher survival rate was revealed in younger cases (especially teenagers), in cases of Grade I or II on the first operation, and those with preoperative symptoms persisting for more than 2 years. No correlations were observed between the survival rate and the operation era, sex of the patients, and location of the tumor. The effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy were doubtful. Although external decompression and/or shunt operations were irrelevant to the survival rate, the result was better when the tumor was removed as extensively as possible.