Be cautious to bid farewell to GBMO: evidence from a propensity score analysis

• Main Authors: Haihui Jiang, Yong Cui, Xiaohui Ren, Song Lin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2018-01-01
• Series: Glioma
• Subjects: Classification; glioblastoma with an oligodendroglioma component; pathology; propensity score matching
• Online Access: http://www.jglioma.com/article.asp?issn=2589-6113;year=2018;volume=1;issue=1;spage=27;epage=33;aulast=Jiang

Background: Glioblastomas with an oligodendroglioma component (GBMO) represents a pathology entity with indefinite diagnostic criterion and controversial prognosis, which prevents it from clinical application. The aim of this study is to disclose the clinical and genetic features of GBMO. Methods: A total of 169 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and 86 GBMO were reviewed. To reduce bias in patient selection, propensity score analysis was performed, and 68 pairs of GBMO-GBM were thereby generated. The survival time of the two groups was compared using the Kaplan–Meier method. Independent predictors of survival were identified using the Cox proportional-hazards model. Results: Compared to GBM, GBMO was correlated with younger age, higher frequencies of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation, and 1p19q co-deletion (P < 0.05). Among the propensity-score-matched pairs of patients, GBMO patients displayed both prolonged progression-free survival (12 months vs. 9 months, P = 0.005) and overall survival (18.5 months vs. 15 months, P = 0.007) than GBM patients. On top of IDH and 1p/19q, GBMO and GBM could be reclassified into subgroups with the distinct clinical outcome (P < 0.05). Conclusion: GBMO, a subgroup associated with younger age, high frequencies of IDH mutation f and 1p19q co-deletion, confers a favorable prognosis. It should be cautious to propose the deletion of GBMO in the new World Health Organization classification of tumors of the central nervous system.