Interventions to reduce neurological symptoms in patients with GBM receiving radiotherapy: From theory to clinical practice

Abstract

Background: Patients affected by glioblastoma often develop cerebral oedema as a life-threatening complication. Although there is no approved pharmacological intervention, such cerebral oedema is usually treated with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone has been shown in experimental studies to reduce cerebral oedema with only few mineralocorticoid side-effects. The goal of our study was to examine its efficacy in reducing the emergence of neurological deficits during the Stupp protocol. Patients and Methods: We studied a retrospective cohort of 459 patients, assigned in controlled groups: in group A, patients received radiochemotherapy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy; in group B, patients received an equivalent combined treatment with dexamethasone. Results: The frequency of neurological symptoms was significantly lower in dexamethasone-treated patients. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and prevention of cerebral oedema are important because functional consequences can be anticipated with an appropriate medical treatment. Thus, our study reveals that dexamethasone acts to prevent the appearance of neurological symptoms in patients with brain tumour.