Glioblastoma in the elderly: treatment patterns and survival.

AIM: The optimal treatment for elderly glioblastoma patients is unclear. We conducted a retrospective review of the California Cancer Registry to examine treatment patterns and survival by age.

METHODS: We identified 2670 adult patients from the California Cancer Registry with glioblastoma. We compared the extent of resection, treatment type and modality.

RESULTS: Elderly patients had the greatest overall survival (OS) with combined surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. However, they were more likely to undergo biopsy and less likely to receive combined radiation and chemotherapy than patients <70.

CONCLUSION: OS was maximized in elderly patients who were able to get some surgical resection and undergo combined radiation and chemotherapy. OS survival in some elderly patients may be improved by more extensive therapy.