5-Aminolevulinic acid-guided resection improves the overall survival of patients with glioblastoma—a comparative cohort study of 343 patients
Asfand Baig Mirza, Ioannis Christodoulides, José Pedro Lavrador, Anastasios Giamouriadis, Amisha Vastani, Timothy Boardman, Razna Ahmed, I Norman, Christopher Murphy, Sharmila Devi, Francesco Vergani, Richard Gullan, Ranjeev Bhangoo, Keyoumars Ashkan
Abstract
Abstract Background 5-Aminolevulic acid-guided surgery (5-ALA-GS) improves the extent of resection (EoR) and progression-free survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Methods A single-center retrospective cohort study of adult patients with GBM who had surgical resection between 2013 and 2019, 5-ALA guided versus a non-5-ALA cohort. The primary outcome was the overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes were EoR, performance status (PS), and new focal neurological deficit. Results Three hundred and forty-three patients were included: 253 patients in 5-ALA-GS group and 90 patients in the non-5-ALA-GS group. The OS (17.47 vs 10.63 months, P < .0001), postoperative PS (P < .0001), PS at 6 months (P = .002), new focal neurological deficit (23.3% vs 44.9%, P < .0001), and radiological EoR (gross total resection [GTR]—47.4% vs 22.9%, P < .0001) were significantly better in the 5-ALA-GS group compared to non-5-ALA-GS group. In multivariate analysis, use of 5-ALA (P = .003) and MGMT promoter methylation (P = .001) were significantly related with a better OS. In patients with radiological GTR, OS was also significantly better (P < .0001) in the 5-ALA-GS group compared to the non-5-ALA-GS group. Conclusions 5-ALA-GS is associated with a significant improvement in the OS, PS after surgery and at 6 months, larger EoR, and fewer new motor deficits in patients with GBM.