New Hypofractionation Radiation Strategies for Glioblastoma

AbstractPurpose of ReviewGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor in adults, with a median survival of less than 2  years despite the standard of care treatment of 6 weeks of chemoradiotherapy. We review the data investigating hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) in the treatment of newly diagnosed GBM.Recent FindingsInvestigators have explored alternative radiotherapy strategies that shorten treatment duration with the goal of similar or improved survival while minimizing toxicity. HFRT over 1 –3 weeks is already a standard of care for patients with advanced age or poor performance status. For young patients with good performance status, HFRT holds the promise of radiobiologically escalating the dose and potentially improving local control while maintaining quality of life.SummaryThrough the use of shorter radiotherapy fractionation regimens coupled with novel systemic agents, improved outcomes for patients with GBM may be achieved.

Source: Current Oncology Reports - July 22, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research