Comparison of long-term survival between temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone for patients with low-grade gliomas after surgical resection

PURPOSE: This study was designed to compare the survival outcomes of temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy (TMZ + RT) vs radiotherapy alone (RT-alone) for low-grade gliomas (LGGs) after surgical resection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, we reviewed postoperative records of 69 patients with LGGs treated with TMZ + RT (n=31) and RT-alone (n=38) at the Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University between June 2011 and December 2013. Patients in the TMZ + RT group were administered 50–100 mg oral TMZ every day until the radiotherapy regimen was completed. RESULTS: The median follow-up since surgery was 33 months and showed no significant intergroup differences (P=0.06). There were statistically significant intergroup differences in the progression-free survival rate (P=0.037), with 83.9% for TMZ-RT group and 60.5% for RT-alone group. The overall 2-year overall survival (OS) rate was 89.86%. Age distribution (≥45 years and <45 years) and resection margin (complete resection or not) were significantly associated with OS (P=0.03 and P=0.004, respectively). CONCLUSION: Although no differences were found in the 2-year OS between the TMZ + RT and RT-alone groups, there was a trend toward increased 2-year progression-free survival in the TMZ + RT group. With better tolerability, concurrent TMZ chemoradiotherapy may be beneficial for postoperative patients with LGGs. Age distribution and surgical margin are likely potential indicators of disease prognosis. The possible differences in long-term survival between the two groups and the links between prognostic factors and long-term survival may be worthy of further investigation.