Changes in presentation, treatment, and outcomes of adult low-grade gliomas over the past fifty years

Abstract

BackgroundTo identify changes in patient presentation, treatment, and outcomes of low-grade gliomas (LGGs) over the past 50 years.MethodsRecords of 852 adults who received a diagnosis at Mayo Clinic from 1960 through 2011 with World Health Organization grade II LGGs were reviewed and grouped by those who received a diagnosis before (group I: 1960-1989) and after (group II: 1990-2011) the routine use of postoperative MRI.ResultsMedian follow-up was 23.3 and 8.7 years for groups I and II, respectively. Patients in group I more often presented with seizures, headaches, sensory/motor impairment, and astrocytoma histology. Over time, more gross total resections (GTRs) were achieved, fewer patients received postoperative radiotherapy (PORT), and more received chemotherapy.Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 4.4 and 8.0 years, respectively. Although PFS was similar, 10-year OS was better in group II (47%) than in group I (33%; P