ADULT SUPRATENTORIAL LOW-GRADE GLIOMA: LONG-TERM EXPERIENCE AT A SINGLE INSTITUTION

Purpose: To report the long-term follow-up of a cohort of adult patients with supratentorial low-grade glioma treated at a single institution. Methods and Materials: A cohort of 145 adult patients treated at the London Regional Cancer Program between 1979 and 1995 was reviewed. Results: With a median follow-up of 105 months, the median progression-free survival was 61 months (95 % confidence interval, 53-77), and the median overall survival was 118 months (95 % confidence interval, 93-129). The 10- and 20-year progression-free and overall survival rate was 18 % and 0 % and 48 % and 22 %, respectively. Cox regression analysis confirmed the importance of age, histologic type, presence of seizures, Karnofsky performance status, and initial extent of surgery as prognostic variables for overall and cause-specific survival. Function among long-term survivors without tumor progression was good to excellent for most patients. Conclusion: Low-grade glioma is a chronic disease, with most patients dying of their disease. However, long-term survival with good function is possible. Survival is determined primarily by the disease factors with selection and timing of adjuvant treatments having less influence on outcome. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc.