[Post-operative management of primary glioblastoma multiforme in patients over 60 years of age]
DARÓCZI Borbála, SZÁNTÓ Erika, TÓTH Judit, BARZÓ Pál, BOGNÁR László, BAKÓ Gyula, SZÁNTÓ János, MÓZES Petra, HIDEGHÉTY Katalin
Clinical Neuroscience - 2013;66(11-12)
HUNGARIAN 2013;66(11-12)
[Background and purpose - Optimal treatment for elderly patients with glioblastoma multiforme is not well defined. We evaluated the efficacy of post-operative radiotherapy with or without concomitant and/or adjuvant temozolomide in patients aged ≥60 years to assess survival and identify prognostic factors of survival. Methods - A retrospective analysis of overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme aged ≥60 years treated with postoperative radiotherapy with or without temozolomide chemotherapy was conducted at our institutions. Prognostic factors were determined by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results - Of 75 study participants (54.7% male; median age at first diagnosis, 65.1 years), 29 (38.7%) underwent gross total resection, whereas others underwent partial resection or biopsy only. All but 1 patient received radiotherapy. Twenty patients received concomitant temozolomide only. Adjuvant temozolomide (1-50 cycles) was administered in 42 patients; 16 received ≥6 cycles. Median overall survival was 10.3 months. One- and 2-year overall survival rates were 42.6% and 6.7%, respectively. Median progression-free survival was 4.1 months. Radiochemotherapy was generally well tolerated. Median overall survival was 15.3 and 29.6 months for patients who received 6-12 cycles and >12 cycles of adjuvant temozolomide, respectively. There were no significant differences in overall survival between age groups (60-64, 65-69, and ≥70 years). Adjuvant temozolomide, Karnofsky performance status ≥70, and additional surgery after progression were significant prognostic factors of longer overall survival (p<0.05). Conclusions: Radiochemotherapy, including ≥6 cycles of adjuvant temozolomide, was safe and prolonged survival of glioblastoma patients aged ≥60 years. Aggressive therapy should not be withheld from patients aged ≥60 years with good performance status because of age.]
neurosurgeryelderlyglioblastomaadjuvantradiochemotherapy
[Treatment possibilities in advanced Parkinson's disease]
TAKÁTS Annamária, NAGY Helga, RADICS Péter, TÓTH Adrián, GERTRÚD Tamás
[In the course of Parkinson's disease, advanced and late stages can be distinguished. In the advanced stage, levodopa has good effect on motor symptoms, but patient care is often hindered by levodopa-induced complications such as motor fluctuation and dyskinesias. In the late stage levodopa response becomes poor, falls, dementia and psychotic symptoms appear and patients often need hospitalization. In the advanced stage, the quality of life may be improved better by device-aided therapy than by best oral medical treatment. The alternatives are apomorhin pump, levodopa carbidopa intestinal gel with pump and deep brain stimulation. The therapy plan should be based on the principle: "the right treatment, to the right patient, in the right time".]
[Status epilepticus and its treatment - Update 2013]
GYIMESI Csilla, JUHOS Vera, HORVÁTH Réka, BÓNÉ Beáta, TÓTH Márton, FOGARASI András, KOMOLY Sámuel, JANSZKY József
[Our study provides an overview of the results and guidelines published on the treatment of status epilepticus in the last five years. In recent years, as a result of scientific observations and collected data, the definition of and treatment approach to status epilepticus have been refined and novel therapeutic methods have been developed. The updated guidelines provide guidance in everyday medical practice. However, only a relatively small number of randomized studies are available on status epilepticus, especially in second-line treatment and third-line treatment, thus it is difficult to transfer the newest methods into clinical practice and into updates to treatment protocols. Due to the nature and epidemiology of the disease, the treatment of status epilepticus remains a daily challenge for healthcare providers. The key points of an effective treatment are: expeditiously initiating appropriate therapy, concurrent causal treatment and anticonvulsant therapy, early detection of nonconvulsive status epilepticus, as well as avoiding "overtreatment" and side effects.]
[Psychosis as a process - New implications of staging models of schizophrenia]
HALMAI Tamás, TÉNYI Tamás
[The article discusses contributing factors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In the last fifteen years, the emphasis has shifted from curative to prodromal and premorbid characteristics of later schizophrenia patients. Nevertheless, most studies are limited to the area of early detection and intervention of schizophrenia with much fewer focusing on actual prevention. A more general preventive approach not limited to psychotic condition is clearly underestimated. Following a review of current literature on prodromal approaches and identified premorbid markers of schizophrenia, the article outlines a possible trajectory of later psychotic condition with detectable, distinct stages from birth on. Based on this extended staging model involving neurotoxic impact and early prefrontal-limbic dysfunction, it argues for a refined, phase-specific treatment protocol including preventive interventions. Accepting a model of schizophrenia as an illness with detectable, phase-specific signs and symptoms from infancy on leads to the need to implement preventive interventions. Through this approach, we could, in the optimal case, be able to identify early signs of neuromotoric and cognitive dysfunction not specific for psychosis. Furthermore, it would be useful to lay greater emphasis on the detection of these early signs in the training of health care professionals. This approach calls for a close cooperation between psychologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists and special education experts and a change in the way we view psychotic illness.]
[Diffusion MRI measured white matter microstructure as a biomarker of neurodegeneration in preclinical Huntington's disease]
KINCSES Tamás Zsigmond, SZABÓ Nikoletta, TÓTH Eszter, ZÁDORI Dénes, FARAGÓ Péter, NÉMETH Dezsõ, JANACSEK Karolina, BABOS Magor, KLIVÉNYI Péter, VÉCSEI László
[Background - Huntington's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, genetically determined by CAG trinucleotide expansions in the IT15 gene. The onset of the symptoms is related to the number of CAG triplets. Because the patients are asymptomatic in the early phase of the disease, in vivo biomarkers are needed to follow up the neurodegeneration and to test putative neuroprotective approaches. One such promising biomarker is the diffusion MRI measured microstructural alteration of the white matter. Methods - Seven presymtomatic, mutation carriers and ten age-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Diffusion parameters were compared between groups and correlated with measures describing neurodegeneration. In order to reduce the possible misregistration bias due to atrophy the analysis was restricted to the core of each fibre bundles as defined by maximal fractional anisotropy (Tract- Based Spatial Statistics). Results - Decreased fractional anisotropy, along with increased mean, parallel and perpendicular diffusivity was found in white matter tracts, mainly in the corpus callosum. An inverse correlation was detected between the fractional anisotropy and neurodegeneration score (derived from the number of CAG triplets and the patient age) from the areas of the left precentral gyrus, frontal lobe, corpus callosum and the capsula extrema. Altered diffusion parameters are promising biomarkers of the neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease.]
[EDITORIAL COMMENT]
KOZÁK Lajos Rudolf
[Editorial comment 2013;66(11-12)]
[Rehabilitation possibilities and results after neurosurgical intervention of brain tumors ]
DÉNES Zoltán, TARJÁNYI Szilvia, NAGY Helga
[Objectives - Authors examined the rehabilitation possi­bi­lities, necessities, and results of patients after operation with brain tumor, and report their experiences. Method - Retrospective, descriptive study at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit, in National Institute for Medical Rehabilitation. Patients - Patients were admitted consecutively after rehabilitation consultation, from different hospitals, following surgical intervention of brain tumors, between 01 January 2001 and 31 December 2016. Patients participated in a postacute inpatient rehabilitation program, in multidisciplinary team-work, leaded by Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine specialist included the following activities: rehabilitation nursing, physical, occupational, speech, psychological and neuropsychological therapy. Results - At the rehabilitation unit, in the sixteen-year period 84 patients were treated after operation with brain tumor. Patients arrived at the unit after an average of 41 days to the time of the surgical intervention (range: 10-139 days), and the mean length of rehabilitation stay was 49 days (range: 2-193 days). The mean age of patients was 58 years (20-91), who were 34 men and 50 women. The main symptoms were hemiparesis (64), cognitive problems (26), dysphagia (23), aphasia (16), ataxia (15), tetraparesis (5), and paraparesis (1). The mean Barthel Index at the time of admission was 35 points, whereas this value was 75 points at discharge. After the inpatient rehabilitation, 73 patients improved functionally, the status of 9 patients did not show clinically relevant changes, and 2 patients deteriorated. During the rehabilitation 10 patients required urgent interhospital transfer to brain surgery units, 9 patients continued their oncological treatment, two patients continued rehabilitation treatment at another rehabilitation unit, and after rehabilitation 73 patients were discharged to their homes. Conclusions - Inpatient rehabilitation treatment could be necessary after operation of patients with brain tumor especially when functional disorders (disability) are present. Consultation is obligatory among the neurosurgeon, rehabilitation physician and the patient to set realistic rehabilitation goals and determine place and method of rehabilitation treatment, but even at malignancies cooperation with oncological specialist also needed. Authors' experience shows benefits of multidisciplinary rehabilitation for patients after brain tumor surgery. ]
[Prognostic significance of invasion in glioblastoma]
SZIVÓS László, VIRGA József, HORTOBÁGYI Tibor, ZAHUCZKY Gábor, URAY Iván, JENEI Adrienn, BOGNÁR László, ÁRKOSY Péter, KLEKNER Álmos
[Glioblastoma is the most common malignant CNS tumor, its surgical removal is hindered by the tumors invasive nature, while current anti-tumor therapies show limited effectiveness – mean overall survival is 16-24 months. Some patients show minimal response towards standard oncotherapy, however there are no routinely available prognostic and predictive markers in clinical practice to identify the background of mentioned differences in prognosis. This research aims to identify the prognostic significance of invasion-related extracellular (ECM) components. Patient groups with different prognoses were created (OS: group A <16 months, group B > 16 months), and internationally recognized prognostic markers (IDH1 mutation and MGMT promoter hyper-methylation) were tested in the flash-frozen tumor samples. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of 46 invasion-related ECM molecules were measured. Clinical data of the patients who have been operated on at the University of Debrecen Clinical Center Department of Neurosurgery and treated at the Department of Clinical Oncology showed no significant differences except for survival data (OS and PFS), and reoperation rate. All samples were IDH wild type. MGMT promoter hypermethylation rate showed significant differences (28.6% vs 68.8%). The expressional pattern of the invasion-related ECM molecules, i.e. the invasion spectrum also showed major differences, integrin β2, cadherin-12, FLT4/VEGFR-3 and versican molecules having signficantly different mRNA levels. The accuracy of the inivasion spectrum was tested by statistical classifier, 83.3% of the samples was sorted correctly, PPV was 0.93. The difference found in the reoperation rate when comparing different prognostic groups aligns with literature data. MGMG promoter region methylation data in Hungarian samples has not been published yet, and further confirming current knowledge urges the implementation of MGMT promoter analysis in clinical practice. Studying the invasion spectrum provides extra information on tumors, as a prognostic marker it helps recognizing more aggressive tumors, and calls attention to the necessity of using anti-invasive agents in GBM therapies in the future.]
Isocitrate dehydrogenase mutations in defining the biology of and supporting clinical decision making in glioblastoma
KÁLOVITS Ferenc, TOMPA Márton, NAGY Ádám, BERNADETTE Kalman
Background and purpose - Oncogenesis is related to a sequential accumulation of somatic mutations. Comprehensive characterizations of the genomic landscapes have been completed recently for several tumors, glioblastoma being among the first ones. Our own translational research studies have been focused on defining molecular subtypes of glioblastoma in the clinical setting because of an expected prognostic and therapeutic utility of the information. Somatic mutations in genes of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) enzyme family appear to be among the best-defined biomarkers that also influence tumor behavior and confer clinical utility. Methods - We have reviewed the literature including our own results to summarize basic science and clinical correlates of IDH mutations. Results - The surveyed data reveal genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic and biochemical consequences of IDH mutations in the context of glioblastoma biology and phenotype. In addition, a few studies highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting IDH, although thus far all tests have only been conducted in the preclinical setting. Conclusions - Somatic mutations in isoforms of IDH genes represent important biomarkers that correlate with biochemical, biological and phenotypic features of glioblastoma, and may also facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies complementing the currently available approved protocols.
ENG 2018;71(07-08)
[Geriatric oncology]
TELEKES András
[Geriatric oncology has an increasing role since in several types of cancer the median age at diagnosis is above 60 years of age. The treatment of elderly patients are frequently set back by prejudice, stereotypes and lack of information. All these lead to the fact that even in well-developed countries elderly cancer patients often do not receive the necessary treatments. This is even more true in poor-countries, where the fi nancial defi cit accumulated in health care is often attempted to be reduced by the treatment of elderly. If a paediatric oncology patient does not get suffi cient cancer treatment there is a fi erce protest, but everybody is silent if this occurs in the case of an 80 years old patient. For this unacceptable situation both authorities (fi nancing) and professional bodies (treatment, education) are responsible. Clinical data show that elderly cancer patients get the same benefi t of active oncology treatment, as younger ones. Age on its own does not contraindicate any cancer treatment. The aim of this review is to prove by data, that elderly cancer patients should also get active oncology treatment. The questions of assessment include frailty, the relationship of cancer development and ageing, and other problems related to the oncology treatment of elderly patients are also discussed.]
[Therapy of isolated systolic hypertension III.]
FARSANG Csaba
[In the elderly and very elderly (˃80 yrs), a wealth of data from large clinical trials are available, showing the necessity of treatment mostly with drug combinations - fix-combinations are preferred for increasing the adherence/persistence to therapy. Using diuretics, ACE-inhibitors/ARBs with calcium antagonists, and in special cases diuretics and beta blockers are also suggested by recent European guidelines (ESH, HSH). The target is <140 mmHg, but in octogenarians <150 mmHg. Some studies are pressing for even lower SBP (to around 120 mm Hg), but it seems to be wise to balance advantages/disadvantages, so the optimal SBP may be around 130 mmHg.]
The effect of bevacizumab monotherapy on progression free survival in recurrent glioblastoma