Time to treatment initiation and outcomes in high-grade glioma patients in rehabilitation: a retrospective cohort study

AIMS: To investigate wait time (WT) for chemoradiation and survival in post-op high-grade glioma (HGG) patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation compared with those discharged home. MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 291 HGG patients (14.4% grade III and 84.9% grade IV) were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were grouped by disposition following surgery. RESULTS: Median length of stay was longer in acute inpatient rehabilitation facility (AIRF) patients (10d) compared with patients discharged home (3d). AIRF admission was associated with higher odds of excessive treatment delay. Median survival for AIRF patients less than for patients discharged home (42.9 vs 72.71 weeks). WT was not associated with survival even after adjusting for prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: HGG patients discharged to rehabilitation facilities have longer length of stay, longer WT and shorter survival compared with patients discharged home.