The impact of molecular and clinical factors on patient outcome in oligodendroglioma from 20 years' experience at a single centre

The increased chemosensitivity of oligodendroglial tumours has been associated with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the p arm of chromosome 1 and the q arm of chromosome 19 (LOB 1p/19q). Other clinical and molecular factors have also been identified as being prognostic and predictive of treatment outcome. We reviewed 105 patients with oligodendroglioma treated at a single centre over 20 years. Median survival in oligodendroglioma patients with LOB 1p/19q was significantly longer (10.9 vs. 2.0 years). In the anaplastic oligodendroglioma group, univariate analysis demonstrated decreased patient age, presentation with seizures, use of adjuvant chemotherapy and LOB 1p/19q as predictors of improved survival. Multivariate analysis confirmed LOH 1p/19q as a significant predictor of improved survival (hazard ratio, 3.4: p = 0.015). Median survival in patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma with LOB 1p/19q was 15.4 years vs. 1.2 years for those without LOH 1p/19q. This study confirms the utility of LOB 1p/19q as a prognostic marker in oligodendroglioma. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.