Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics are listed in detail in Table 1. In the database, 109 patients with recurrent glioma treated with PT across 7 treatment centers were identified. Of those, 50% (n = 55) were male, 80% (n = 87) were white, and median age was 49 years (range 19–85). Most patients had an ECOG performance status of 0 (n = 48) or 1 (n = 37). Primary tumor histology was glioblastoma (n = 63, including 1 gliosarcoma), oligodendroglioma (n = 26), and astrocytoma (n = 20). Of the non-glioblastoma patients, 28 had WHO grade III tumors, including 16 with anaplastic oligodendroglioma and 12 with anaplastic astrocytoma. Molecular data were not commonly available for non-glioblastoma patients. Of those with available data, IDH1 mutation and MGMT methylation was present in 20% (n = 8 of 41) and 52% of patients (n = 22 of 42), respectively.
Table 1
Patient and treatment characteristics
Parameter | Level | N (%) = 109 |
Age (years) | Median (Range) | 49 (19–85) |
Sex | Male | 55 (50%) |
| Female | 54 (50%) |
ECOG | 0 | 48 (44%) |
| 1 | 37 (34%) |
| 2 | 18 (17%) |
| 3 | 6 (5%) |
Histology at Diagnosis | Glioblastoma | 63 (58%) |
| Astrocytoma | 20 (18%) |
| Oligodendroglioma | 26 (24%) |
Tumor Grade | 4 | 63 (58%) |
| 3 | 28 (26%) |
| 2 | 18 (16%) |
Prior Surgical Resection | Yes | 94 (86%) |
| No | 15 (14%) |
Prior Chemotherapy | Yes | 97 (89%) |
| No | 12 (11%) |
Surgical resection within 3 months of PT | Yes | 33 (40%) |
| No | 76 (70%) |
Number of prior RT courses | 1 | 102 (94%) |
| 2 | 6 (5%) |
| 3 | 1 (1%) |
Prior RT Dose (Gy) | Median (Range) | 59.3 (23.4-120.9) |
Time interval from prior RT to PT (months) | Median (Range) | 40.7 (2.9–441.0) |
PT Reirradiation Dose (CGE in Gy) | Median (Range) | 49.6 (24.8–60.1) |
Fraction Size (CGE in Gy) | Median (Range) | 2.2 (1.1-4.0) |
PT Modality | Pencil-beam scanning | 56 (52%) |
| Passive scattering | 53 (48%) |
Cumulative Dose (CGE in Gy) | Median (Range) | 106.5 (78.8-167.8) |
Overall, 86% and 89% of patients had surgery and chemotherapy at initial diagnosis, respectively. Most patients received temozolomide (n = 73 of 97). Most patients had a single prior course of RT (n = 102), but 6 patients had 2 prior courses and 1 patient had 3 prior courses. The median cumulative dose of all prior treatments was 59.3 Gy (range 23.4–120.9). Most prior treatment courses were conventional and/or mildly hypofractionated dose fractionation regimens; however, 5% of patients received stereotactic radiosurgery at least once prior to PT.
Of the patients with one prior course of RT, the median time from initial diagnosis to recurrence was 45.7 months (range 3.2–386.7 months). For the whole cohort, 40% of patients had surgery within 3 months of PT. The median time from the most recent prior RT course to initiation of PT-reirradiation for the entire cohort and the glioblastoma cohort was 40.7 months (range 2.9–441.0) and 14.7 months (range 3.9–89.5), respectively. Pencil beam scanning PT (n = 56) and uniform scanning PT (n = 53) were utilized. The median dose of PT-reirradiation was 49.6 Gy (CGE) (range 24.9–60.1) with a median dose/fraction size of 2.2 CGE/fraction (range 1.1–4.0). The median cumulative dose of all RT courses was 106.5 Gy (CGE) (range 78.8–167.8). Sixty-eight percent of patients had concurrent chemotherapy with PT-reirradiation. Of those who received concurrent chemotherapy, the most common agents included temozolomide (n = 36), bevacizumab (n = 12), and temozolomide/bevacizumab combination (n = 21).
Progression-free survival and overall survival
Outcomes analyses were performed for patients with only one prior course of RT (n = 102). The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 11.2 months. The median PFS was 6.1 months (95% CI 5.1–8.5), and the PFS at 3, 6, and 12 months were 74.5%, 53.8% and 23.6%, respectively. Median PFS was longer for oligodendroglioma (10.7 months, 95% CI 5.8–15.8) and astrocytoma histologies (10.5 months, 95% CI 2.5–21.6) than for glioblastoma (5.2 months, 95% CI 3.5–20.2) (Fig. 1a). On UVA, improved PFS was associated with oligodendroglioma (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.22–0.67, p = 0.0033) and astrocytoma histologies (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.30–0.99, p = 0.0042) compared to glioblastoma, WHO grade III compared to WHO grade IV (HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.21–0.59, p = 0.002), longer time to recurrence (HR 0.989, 95% CI 0.984–0.995, p = 0.0005), surgery within 3 months (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.21–0.73, p = 0.0031), and reirradiation dose ≥ 50 Gy (CGE) (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.37–0.95, p = 0.0284) (Table 2a). Median PFS for patients receiving ≥ 50 Gy (CGE) was 9.1 months compared to 5.1 months for those receiving < 50 Gy (CGE) (Fig. 2A). On multivariable analysis (MVA), time to recurrence (HR 0.991, 95% CI 0.984–0.997, p = 0.0041) was maintained within the model.
Table 2
Univariable and Multivariable Analysis for (a) Progression-Free Survival and (b) Overall Survival
| | Univariable Analysis | | Multivariable Analysis | |
Variable | Level | Hazard Ratio (95% CI) | P-value | Hazard Ratio (95% CI) | P-value |
(a) Progression-Free Survival |
Histology | Oligodendroglioma | 0.39 (0.22–0.67) | 0.0033 | | |
| Astrocytoma | 0.55 (0.30–0.99) | 0.042 | | |
| Glioblastoma | REF | | | |
Tumor Grade | WHO Grade 3 | 0.36 (0.21–0.59) | 0.002 | | |
| WHO Grade 4 | REF | | | |
Time to recurrence (months) | Continuous variable | 0.989 (0.984–0.995) | 0.0005 | 0.986 (0.977–0.995) | 0.0015 |
Surgery within 3 months | Yes | 0.39 (0.21–0.73) | 0.0031 | | |
| No | REF | | | |
PT Reirradiation Dose | ≥ 50 Gy | 0.59 (0.37–0.95) | 0.028 | | |
| < 50 Gy | REF | | | |
(b) Overall Survival |
Histology | Oligodendroglioma | 0.35 (0.19–0.62) | 0.0047 | | |
| Glioblastoma | REF | | | |
ECOG | 0 | 0.47 (0.27–0.81) | 0.007 | 0.42 (0.19–0.96) | 0.04 |
| ≥ 1 | REF | | | |
Time to recurrence (months) | Continuous variable | 0.985 (0.977–0.993) | 0.0002 | 0.986 (0.978–0.994) | 0.007 |
PT Reirradiation Dose | ≥ 50 Gy | 0.58 (0.35–0.97) | 0.039 | | |
| < 50 Gy | REF | | | |
The median OS after PT-reirradiation was 11.1 months (95% CI 9.1–12.5) and OS at 6, 12, and 24 months were 75.3%, 45.8%, and 16.3%, respectively. Median OS was longer for patients with oligodendroglioma (22.9 months, 95% CI 9.5–29.4) and astrocytoma histologies (16.3 months, 95% CI 4.3–25.6) compared to glioblastoma (9.5 months, 95% CI 6.7–38.1) (Fig. 1b). The median OS from time of original diagnosis for the entire cohort, oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma, and glioblastoma histologies were 57.7 months (95% CI 38.8–73.8), 169.0 months (95% CI 102.6–169.0), 131.4 months (95% CI 43.7–170.7), and 33.0 months (95% CI 23.2–49.9), respectively. On UVA, improved OS was associated with oligodendroglioma histology compared to glioblastoma (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.19–0.62, p = 0.0047), WHO grade III compared to WHO grade IV (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.19–0.56, p = 0.0029), ECOG performance status 0 (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.27–0.81, p = 0.007), longer time to recurrence (HR 0.985, 95% CI 0.977–0.993, p = 0.0002), and reirradiation dose ≥ 50 Gy (CGE) (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.35–0.97, P = 0.039) (Table 2b). Median OS for patients receiving ≥ 50 Gy (CGE) was 14.4 months compared to 9.5 months for those receiving < 50 Gy (CGE) (Fig. 2b). Surgery within 3 months was not found to be significant for OS (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.37–1.3, p = 0.25). On MVA, time to recurrence (HR 0.986, 95% CI 0.978–0.994, p = 0.0007) and ECOG 0 (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.19–0.96, p = 0.04) were maintained within the model.
Toxicity
At baseline just prior to reirradiation, 12 patients had documented grade 3 toxicities (11%) from prior therapies. Acute grade 2 + and grade 3 + toxicities possibly, probably, or definitely-related to PT-reirradiation were reported in 53% and 10.5% of patients, respectively. Acute grade 3 toxicities included ataxia (n = 4), fatigue (n = 1), headache (n = 3), weakness (n = 6), neuropathy (n = 1), and seizure (n = 1). There was one acute grade 4 event of thrombocytopenia in a patient receiving concurrent temozolomide. On UVA, the only variable associated with acute grade 3 toxicity was ECOG 2 (HR 2.86, 95% CI 0.58–5.14, p = 0.012).
Of the 72 patients with > 3 months follow-up, late grade 2 + and 3 toxicities occurred in 18.1% and 5.6% of patients, respectively. Late grade 3 toxicities included muscle weakness (n = 2), memory impairment (n = 1), ataxia (n = 1), dysarthria (n = 1), peripheral neuropathy (n = 1), and seizure (n = 1). No late grade 4–5 toxicities were observed. Of the 4 patients with late grade 3 toxicities, the median dose of PT-reirradiation and cumulative dose of all prior RT courses was 43.1 Gy (CGE) and 102.1 Gy (CGE), respectively.