Search

This series of articles for rehabilitation in practice aims to cover a knowledge element of the rehabilitation medicine curriculum. Nevertheless they are intended to be of interest to a multidisciplinary audience. The competency addressed in this article is cognitive rehabilitation.Background: There is a paucity of literature on the rationale, design, and content of successful cognitive rehabilitation programmes. In the current paper, we describe in detail a cognitive rehabilitation programme that has previously proven effective in a randomized controlled trial in patients with primary brain tumours. The programme’s content may be of practical interest to those working with populations of cognitively impaired patients.Programme: The programme consists of six weekly, individual, 2-hour sessions plus homework, and incorporates both strategy training and attention retraining. The elements were taken from two of the few programmes that are evidence-based. It's design consists of psycho-education, teaching of strategies to compensate for problems in attention, memory and executive functioning in daily life. The retraining was based on the assumption that a target process can be improved by frequently practising exercises. It is focused on attention as intact attention may also be necessary for adequate functioning of other cognitive domains. The hierarchically organized exercises, embedded in a game-like computer program, were tailored to the needs of the individual patient.Evaluation: Mean total training time was estimated to be 35 hours in seven weeks. Adherence to the programme was high. The majority of the participants found the programme to be (very) useful. However, older participants found the programme more burdensome than younger patients.Discussion: Splitting up and spreading out sessions may increase the feasibility and usefulness of the programme for older participants. Further suggestions for improvements and future studies on this programme are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AIMS: The psychometric properties of the EORTC QLQ-BN20, a brain cancer-specific HRQOL questionnaire, have been previously determined in an English-speaking sample of patients. This study examined the validity and reliability of the questionnaire in a multi-national, multi-lingual study. METHODS: QLQ-BN20 data were selected from two completed phase III EORTC/NCIC clinical trials in brain cancer (N=891), including 12 languages. Experimental treatments were surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) and adjuvant PCV chemotherapy or surgery followed by concomitant RT plus temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy and adjuvant TMZ chemotherapy. Standard treatment consisted of surgery and postoperative RT alone. The psychometrics of the QLQ-BN20 were examined by means of multi-trait scaling analyses, reliability estimation, known groups validity testing, and responsiveness analysis. RESULTS: All QLQ-BN20 items correlated more strongly with their own scale (r>0.70) than with other QLQ-BN20 scales. Internal consistency reliability coefficients were high (all alpha0.70). Known-groups comparisons yielded positive results, with the QLQ-BN20 distinguishing between patients with differing levels of performance status and mental functioning. Responsiveness of the questionnaire to changes over time was acceptable. CONCLUSION: The QLQ-BN20 demonstrates adequate psychometric properties and can be recommended for use in conjunction with the QLQ-C30 in assessing the HRQOL of brain cancer patients in international studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A randomised controlled trial of radiotherapy alone versus radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide for patients with glioblastoma showed that survival was higher for patients assigned combination treatment compared with those assigned standard radiotherapy alone. This paper reports the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of the patients in this trial.Methods: 573 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma were randomly allocated either radiotherapy alone or radiotherapy and temozolomide. The primary endpoint was survival, and HRQOL was a secondary endpoint. We assessed HRQOL at baseline and at every 3 months during treatment until progression using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire core-30 (QLQ-C30) and the EORTC brain cancer module (EORTC BN-20). We calculated changes from baseline score for seven predefined HRQOL measures (fatigue, overall health, social function, emotional function, future uncertainty, insomnia, and communication deficit) and differences between groups for these measures at every time point. The significance of, and proportions of patients with, improved HRQOL scores--defined as a change of 10 points or more--were recorded. This trial is registered on the US National Cancer Institute website http://www.cancer.gov/search/NewClinicalTrials, NCT00006353.Findings: Baseline questionnaires were available for 490 (86%) patients. Baseline HRQOL scores did not differ between groups. At first follow-up, groups differed only in social functioning, favouring the radiotherapy-only group (mean score 79.0 [SD 3.2] for patients assigned radiotherapy vs 67.4 [2.7] for those assigned radiotherapy and temozolomide; difference between groups 11.6 points [95% CI 3.5-19.7], p=0.0052). Over subsequent assessments, HRQOL was much the same between treatment groups.Interpretation: Addition of temozolomide during and after radiotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma significantly improved survival without a negative effect on HRQOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor in adults, is usually rapidly fatal. The current standard of care for newly diagnosed glioblastoma is surgical resection to the extent feasible, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy. In this trial we compared radiotherapy alone with radiotherapy plus temozolomide, given concomitantly with and after radiotherapy, in terms of efficacy and safety.Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed glioblastoma were randomly assigned to receive radiotherapy alone (fractionated focal irradiation in daily fractions of 2 Gy given 5 days per week for 6 weeks, for a total of 60 Gy) or radiotherapy plus continuous daily temozolomide (75 mg per square meter of body-surface area per day, 7 days per week from the first to the last day of radiotherapy), followed by six cycles of adjuvant temozolomide (150 to 200 mg per square meter for 5 days during each 28-day cycle). The primary end point was overall survival.Results: A total of 573 patients from 85 centers underwent randomization. The median age was 56 years, and 84 percent of patients had undergone debulking surgery. At a median follow-up of 28 months, the median survival was 14.6 months with radiotherapy plus temozolomide and 12.1 months with radiotherapy alone. The unadjusted hazard ratio for death in the radiotherapy-plus-temozolomide group was 0.63 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.52 to 0.75; P<0.001 by the log-rank test). The two-year survival rate was 26.5 percent with radiotherapy plus temozolomide and 10.4 percent with radiotherapy alone. Concomitant treatment with radiotherapy plus temozolomide resulted in grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxic effects in 7 percent of patients.Conclusions: The addition of temozolomide to radiotherapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma resulted in a clinically meaningful and statistically significant survival benefit with minimal additional toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: To provide up-to-date evidence on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in neuro-oncology, with a focus on the core constructs of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the use of PROs in clinical trials and clinical practice.[Supplemental Digital Content: Video Abstract PROs in Neuro-Oncology.mov]., Recent Findings: PROs are gaining importance in brain tumor research and medical care. For patients with a brain tumor, core PRO constructs are pain, difficulty communicating, perceived cognition, seizures, symptomatic adverse events, physical functioning and role and social functioning, which are assessed through patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Initiatives have been taken to improve the reliability and robustness of PRO data, including standardization of items included in clinical trial protocols (the SPIRIT-PRO extension) and formulation of PRO priority objectives for use in clinical trials (the SISAQOL-Innovative Medicines Initiative). In brain tumor patients with cognitive impairment, caregiver-reported outcomes may complement or replace PROs to increase accuracy. The next key challenge will be to widely implement PROs and apply PRO data in clinical practice to benefit patients with brain tumors., Summary: PROs are clinically relevant endpoints providing information only known by the patient. Standardization of the use of PROs in clinical trials and wide implementation in clinical practice is needed to improve HRQoL of brain tumor patients., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Neurocognitive impairments are common in patients with a brain tumour, and may negatively impact on functioning in daily life, particularly on instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The EORTC IADL-BN32 questionnaire was developed to measure IADL in this patient population., Methods: In this international validation study, we evaluated the EORTC IADL-BN32 questionnaire on several psychometric properties in a large sample of patients with a primary or metastatic brain tumour. We administered the 32-item questionnaire three times: at 'baseline', after 2 weeks and after 3 months. Procedures were in accordance with EORTC Quality of Life Group module development guidelines., Results: In total, 326 patients participated in the study. A bifactor scale structure showed satisfactory model fit measures, with five multi-item scales and two single items, and an IADL sum score. The internal consistency of the multi-item scales ranged from good to excellent (range Cronbach's α: 0.86-0.97). We found significant differences in scale scores between patients with and without neurocognitive impairments or complaints, supporting the construct validity. Initial cross-cultural validity analyses showed indications of item response biases for certain items. Analyses indicated moderate to good test-retest agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.70) between baseline and the 2-week follow-up assessment for all but one scale. Deterioration of EORTC IADL-BN32 scale scores were consistent with clinically relevant deterioration on other functional measures with small to large effect sizes, however, subgroup sample sizes were small., Conclusion: Overall, the EORTC IADL-BN32 questionnaire exhibited adequate to excellent psychometric properties. Cross-cultural validity and responsiveness should be further explored., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have shown potential for differentiating tumor progression from pseudoprogression. For pseudocontinuous ASL with a single postlabeling delay, the presence of delayed arterial transit times (ATTs) could affect the evaluation of ASL-MRI perfusion data. In this study, the influence of ATT artifacts on the perfusion assessment and differentiation between tumor progression and pseudoprogression were studied. This study comprised 66 adult patients (mean age 60 ± 13 years; 40 males) with a histologically confirmed glioblastoma who received postoperative radio (chemo)therapy. ASL-MRI and DSC-MRI scans were acquired at 3 months postradiotherapy as part of the standard clinical routine. These scans were visually scored regarding (i) the severity of ATT artifacts (%) on the ASL-MRI scans only, scored by two neuroradiologists; (ii) perfusion of the enhancing tumor lesion; and (iii) radiological evaluation of tumor progression versus pseudoprogression by one neuroradiologist. The final outcome was based on combined clinical and radiological follow-up until 9 months postradiotherapy. ATT artifacts were identified in all patients based on the mean scores of two raters. A significant difference between the radiological evaluation of ASL-MRI and DSC-MRI was observed only for ASL images with moderate ATT severity (30%-65%). The perfusion assessment showed ASL-MRI tending more towards hyperperfusion than DSC-MRI in the case of moderate ATT artifacts. In addition, there was a significant difference between the prediction of tumor progression with ASL-MRI and the final outcome in the case of severe ATT artifacts (McNemar test, p = 0.041). Despite using ASL imaging parameters close to the recommended settings, ATT artifacts frequently occur in patients with treated brain tumors. Those artifacts could hinder the radiological evaluation of ASL-MRI data and the detection of true disease progression, potentially affecting treatment decisions for patients with glioblastoma., (© 2024 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The clinical management of patients with incidental intracranial meningioma varies markedly and is often based on clinician choice and observational data. Heterogeneous outcome measurement has likely hampered knowledge progress by preventing comparative analysis of similar cohorts of patients. This systematic review aimed to summarize the outcomes measured and reported in observational studies., Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify published full texts describing active monitoring of adult cohorts with incidental and untreated intracranial meningioma (PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and CINAHL via EBSCO, completed January 24, 2022). Reported outcomes were extracted verbatim, along with an associated definition and method of measurement if provided. Verbatim outcomes were de-duplicated and the resulting unique outcomes were grouped under standardized outcome terms. These were classified using the taxonomy proposed by the "Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials" (COMET) initiative., Results: Thirty-three published articles and 1 ongoing study were included describing 32 unique studies: study designs were retrospective n  = 27 and prospective n  = 5. In total, 268 verbatim outcomes were reported, of which 77 were defined. Following de-duplication, 178 unique verbatim outcomes remained and were grouped into 53 standardized outcome terms. These were classified using the COMET taxonomy into 9 outcome domains and 3 core areas., Conclusions: Outcome measurement across observational studies of incidental and untreated intracranial meningioma is heterogeneous. The standardized outcome terms identified will be prioritized through an eDelphi survey and consensus meeting of key stakeholders (including patients), in order to develop a Core Outcome Set for use in future observational studies., Competing Interests: M.D.J. received a grant from the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment program for the Radiation versus Observation for Atypical Meningioma (ROAM) trial (NIHR ID: 12/173/14). M.D.J. and S.J.M. received a grant from the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment program for Surgeons Trial Of Prophylaxis for Epilepsy in seizure naïve patients with Meningioma (STOP’EM) (NIHR ID: NIHR129748). T.S. founded and leads the Anaplastic Meningioma International Consortium (AMiCo). T.S. and M.D.J. cofounded the British-Irish Meningioma Society (BIMS). A.G.M. is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator and is also part-funded by NIHR ARC North West Coast. The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. M.P. has received honoraria for lectures, consultation or advisory board participation from the following for-profit companies: Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), CMC Contrast, GlaxoSmithKline, Mundipharma, Roche, BMJ Journals, MedMedia, Astra Zeneca, AbbVie, Lilly, Medahead, Daiichi Sankyo, Sanofi, Merck Sharp & Dome, Tocagen, Adastra, Servier. M.W. has received research grants from Quercis and Versameb, and honoraria for lectures or advisory board participation or consulting from Bayer, Curevac, Medac, Novartis, Novocure, Orbus, Philogen, Roche and Sandoz., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.)

Background: Meningioma clinical trials have assessed interventions including surgery, radiotherapy, and pharmacotherapy. However, agreement does not exist on what, how, and when outcomes of interest should be measured. To do so would allow comparative analysis of similar trials. This systematic review aimed to summarize the outcomes measured and reported in meningioma clinical trials., Methods: Systematic literature and trial registry searches were performed to identify published and ongoing intracranial meningioma clinical trials (PubMed, Embase, Medline, CINAHL via EBSCO, and Web of Science, completed January 22, 2022). Reported outcomes were extracted verbatim, along with an associated definition and method of measurement if provided. Verbatim outcomes were deduplicated and the resulting unique outcomes were grouped under standardized outcome terms. These were classified using the taxonomy proposed by the "Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials" (COMET) initiative., Results: Thirty published articles and 18 ongoing studies were included, describing 47 unique clinical trials: Phase 2 n  = 33, phase 3 n  = 14. Common interventions included: Surgery n  = 13, radiotherapy n  = 8, and pharmacotherapy n  = 20. In total, 659 verbatim outcomes were reported, of which 84 were defined. Following de-duplication, 415 unique verbatim outcomes remained and were grouped into 115 standardized outcome terms. These were classified using the COMET taxonomy into 29 outcome domains and 5 core areas., Conclusions: Outcome measurement across meningioma clinical trials is heterogeneous. The standardized outcome terms identified will be prioritized through an eDelphi survey and consensus meeting of key stakeholders (including patients), in order to develop a core outcome set for use in future meningioma clinical trials., Competing Interests: MDJ received a grant from the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment program for the Radiation versus Observation for Atypical Meningioma (ROAM) trial (NIHR ID: 12/173/14). MDJ and SJM received a grant from the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment program for Surgeons Trial Of Prophylaxis for Epilepsy in seizure naïve patients with Meningioma (STOP’EM; NIHR ID: NIHR129748). TS founded and leads the Anaplastic Meningioma International Consortium (AMiCo). TS and MDJ co-founded the British-Irish Meningioma Society (BIMS). AGM is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator and is also part-funded by NIHR ARC North West Coast. The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care. MP has received honoraria for lectures, consultation or advisory board participation from the following for-profit companies: Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), CMC Contrast, GlaxoSmithKline, Mundipharma, Roche, BMJ Journals, MedMedia, Astra Zeneca, AbbVie, Lilly, Medahead, Daiichi Sankyo, Sanofi, Merck Sharp & Dome, Tocagen, Adastra, Servier. MW has received research grants from Quercis and Versameb, and honoraria for lectures or advisory board participation or consulting from Bayer, Curevac, Medac, Novartis, Novocure, Orbus, Philogen, Roche, and Sandoz., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.)

This narrative review provides an overview of the current knowledge on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), a relevant clinical outcome in patients with epilepsy. It shows that the most important factor determining HRQOL in this patient group is seizure frequency. In particular, seizure-freedom is associated with better HRQOL scores. Many other factors may impact perceived HRQOL aspects, but their interrelation is complex and requires further research. Novel analytical approaches, such as hierarchical cluster and symptom network analyses might shed further light on this, and may result in recommendations for interventions on the most 'central' factors influencing different aspects of HRQOL in patients with epilepsy. Next, an overview of the HRQOL tools and analytical methods currently used in epilepsy care, with a focus on clinical trials, is provided. The QOLIE-31 is the most frequently applied and best validated tool. Several other questionnaires focusing on specific aspects of HRQOL (e.g., mood, social impact) are less frequently used. We show some pitfalls that should be taken into account when designing study protocols including HRQOL endpoints. This includes standardized statistical analysis approaches and predefined reporting methods for HRQOL in epilepsy populations. It has been shown in other patient groups that the lack of such standardisation negatively impacts the quality and comparability of results. We conclude with a number of recommendations for future research., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Glioblastoma patients are at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Tumor-intrinsic features are considered to play a role, but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain incompletely understood., Objectives: To identify tumor-expressed genes and signaling pathways that associate with glioblastoma-related VTE by using next generation RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq)., Methods: The tumor gene expression profile of 23 glioblastoma patients with VTE and 23 glioblastoma patients without VTE was compared using an unpaired analysis. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) core analysis was performed on the top 50 differentially expressed genes to explore associated functions and pathways. Based on full RNA-Seq data, molecular glioblastoma subtypes were determined by performing cluster analysis., Results: Of the 19,327 genes, 1246 (6.4 %) were differentially expressed between glioblastoma patients with and without VTE (unadjusted P < 0.05). The most highly overexpressed gene was GLI1, a classical target gene in the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway (log2 fold change: 3.7; unadjusted P < 0.0001, adjusted P = 0.219). In line, Shh signaling was among the top canonical pathways and processes associated with VTE. The proportion of patients with the proneural/neural glioblastoma subtype was higher among those with VTE than controls., Conclusion: Shh signaling may be involved in the development of glioblastoma-related VTE., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: F.A.K. has received research support from Bayer, BMS, BSCI, MSD, Leo Pharma, Actelion, Farm-X, The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, The Dutch Thrombosis Foundation, The Dutch Heart Foundation and the Horizon Europe Program, all paid to his institution and outside the submitted work. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Treatment advancements have improved life expectancy for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with an uncertain and/or poor cancer prognosis (UPCP) and change clinical practice. This improved survival requires a different approach and specific expertise to meet the needs of this group. The aim of this study is to explore the health care experiences of AYAs with a UPCP., Methods: We conducted a multicenter qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and elements of the grounded theory by Corbin and Strauss., Results: Interviews were conducted with 46 AYAs with a UPCP. They were on average 33.4 years old (age range 23-44), and most of them were woman (63%). Additionally, five AYAs with a UPCP participated as AYA research partners in two focus groups. They were on average 31.8 years old and four of them were woman. AYAs with a UPCP reported four pillars for a satisfied healthcare experience: (1) trust, (2) tailored communication, (3) holistic empathic open attitude, and (4) care being offered (pro-)actively. They reported both optimal and suboptimal experiences about distrust based on a delay in diagnostic trajectory, lack of tailored communication and discussion of sensitive topics, preference for a holistic approach, and struggles with finding the way to get additional healthcare support., Conclusion: For AYAs with a UPCP, it is important that both age-specific issues and issues related to the UPCP are understood and addressed; however, this seems not yet optimally implemented in clinical practice. This emphasizes the importance of providing this patient group with tailored care incorporating both aspects. Healthcare professionals need to be supported with training and tools to understand the healthcare needs of AYAs with a UPCP. AYAs can be empowered to take more control over their own healthcare needs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Distinguishing true tumor progression (TP) from treatment-induced abnormalities (eg, pseudo-progression (PP) after radiotherapy) on conventional MRI scans remains challenging in patients with a glioblastoma. We aimed to establish brain MRI phenotypes of glioblastomas early after treatment by combined analysis of structural and perfusion tumor characteristics and assessed the relation with recurrence rate and overall survival time., Methods: Structural and perfusion MR images of 67 patients at 3 months post-radiotherapy were visually scored by a neuroradiologist. In total 23 parameters were predefined and used for hierarchical clustering analysis. Progression status was assessed based on the clinical course of each patient 9 months after radiotherapy (or latest available). Multivariable Cox regression models were used to determine the association between the phenotypes, recurrence rate, and overall survival., Results: We established 4 subgroups with significantly different tumor MRI characteristics, representing distinct MRI phenotypes of glioblastomas: TP and PP rates did not differ significantly between subgroups. Regression analysis showed that patients in subgroup 1 (characterized by having mostly small and ellipsoid nodular enhancing lesions with some hyper-perfusion) had a significant association with increased mortality at 9 months (HR: 2.6 (CI: 1.1-6.3); P  = .03) with a median survival time of 13 months (compared to 22 months of subgroup 2)., Conclusions: Our study suggests that distinct MRI phenotypes of glioblastomas at 3 months post-radiotherapy can be indicative of overall survival, but does not aid in differentiating TP from PP. The early prognostic information our method provides might in the future be informative for prognostication of glioblastoma patients., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.)

Background: Withdrawal of antiseizure medication treatment (ASM) can be considered after completion of antitumour treatment in glioma patients who no longer suffer from seizures. We compared the risk for recurrent seizures after ASM withdrawal between patients with short-term, medium-term versus long-term seizure freedom after antitumour treatment., Methods: In this retrospective observational study, the primary outcome was time to recurrent seizure, from the starting date of no ASM treatment up to 36 months follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were used to study the effect of risk factors on time to recurrent seizure. Stratification was done with information known at baseline. Short-term seizure freedom was defined as ≥ 3 months, but < 12 months; medium-term as 12-24 months; and long-term as ≥ 24 months seizure freedom from the date of last antitumour treatment., Results: This study comprised of 109 patients; 31% (34/109) were in the short-term, 29% (32/109) in the medium-term, and 39% (43/109) in the long-term group. A recurrent seizure was experienced by 47% (16/34) of the patients in the short-term, 31% (10/32) in the medium-term, and 44% (19/43) in the long-term group. Seizure recurrence risk was similar between patients in the short-term group as compared to the medium-term (cause-specific adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.65 [95%CI = 0.29-1.46]) and long-term group (cause-specific aHR = 1.04 [95%CI = 0.52-2.09])., Conclusions: Seizure recurrence risk is relatively similar between patients with short-term, medium-term, and long-term seizure freedom after completion of antitumour treatment., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: In an international randomised controlled phase II study of temozolomide (TMZ) versus TMZ in combination with bevacizumab (BEV) in locally diagnosed non-1p/19q co-deleted World Health Organization grade 2 or 3 gliomas with a first and contrast-enhancing recurrence after initial radiotherapy, and overall survival at 12 months was not significantly different (61% in the TMZ arm and 55% in the TMZ + BEV arm)., Objectives: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was a key secondary end-point in this trial, and the main objective of this study was to determine the impact of the addition of BEV to TMZ on HRQoL., Methods: HRQoL was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 (version 3) and QLQ-BN20 at baseline, and then every 12 weeks until disease progression. The pre-selected primary HRQoL end-point was the QLQ-C30 global health scale, with self-perceived cognitive functioning and pain selected as secondary HRQoL issues. Analysis was undertaken using linear mixed modelling and complemented with sensitivity analyses using summary statistics. A difference was considered clinically relevant with ≥10 points difference on a 100-point scale., Results: Baseline compliance was high at 94% and remained above 60% until 72 weeks, limiting the analysis to 60 weeks. Compliance was similar in both arms. We found no statistically significant or clinically significant differences between the primary HRQoL end-point in both treatment arms (p = 0.2642). The sensitivity analyses confirmed this finding. The overall test for post-baseline differences between the two treatment arms also showed no statistically or clinically significant differences regarding the selected secondary end-point scales., Interpretation: The addition of BEV to TMZ in this patient group neither improves nor negatively impacts HRQoL., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cognitive functioning is increasingly assessed as a secondary outcome in neuro-oncological trials. However, which cognitive domains or tests to assess, remains debatable. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to elucidate the longer-term test-specific cognitive outcomes in adult glioma patients., Methods: A systematic search yielded 7098 articles for screening. To investigate cognitive changes in glioma patients and differences between patients and controls 1-year follow-up, random-effects meta-analyses were conducted per cognitive test, separately for studies with a longitudinal and cross-sectional design. A meta-regression analysis with a moderator for interval testing (additional cognitive testing between baseline and 1-year posttreatment) was performed to investigate the impact of practice in longitudinal designs., Results: Eighty-three studies were reviewed, of which 37 were analyzed in the meta-analysis, involving 4078 patients. In longitudinal designs, semantic fluency was the most sensitive test to detect cognitive decline over time. Cognitive performance on mini-mental state exam (MMSE), digit span forward, phonemic and semantic fluency declined over time in patients who had no interval testing. In cross-sectional studies, patients performed worse than controls on the MMSE, digit span backward, semantic fluency, Stroop speed interference task, trail-making test B, and finger tapping., Conclusions: Cognitive performance of glioma patients 1 year after treatment is significantly lower compared to the norm, with specific tests potentially being more sensitive. Cognitive decline over time occurs as well, but can easily be overlooked in longitudinal designs due to practice effects (as a result of interval testing). It is warranted to sufficiently correct for practice effects in future longitudinal trials., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.)

Introduction: Early guidelines for minimally important differences (MIDs) for the EORTC QLQ-C30 proposed ≥10 points change as clinically meaningful for all scales. Increasing evidence that MIDs can vary by scale, direction of change, cancer type and estimation method has raised doubt about a single global standard. This paper identifies MID patterns for interpreting group-level change in EORTC QLQ-C30 scores across nine cancer types., Methods: Data were obtained from 21 published EORTC Phase III trials that enroled 13,015 patients across nine cancer types (brain, colorectal, advanced breast, head/neck, lung, mesothelioma, melanoma, ovarian, and prostate). Anchor-based MIDs for within-group change and between-group differences in change over time were obtained via mean change method and linear regression, respectively. Separate MIDs were estimated for improvements and deteriorations. Distribution-based estimates were derived and compared with anchor-based MIDs., Results: Anchor-based MIDs mostly ranged from 5 to 10 points. Differences in MIDs for improvement vs deterioration, for both within-group and between-group, were mostly within a 2-points range. Larger differences between within-group and between-group MIDs were observed for several scales in ovarian, lung and head/neck cancer. Most anchor-based MIDs ranged between 0.3 SD and 0.5 SD distribution-based estimates., Conclusions: Our results reinforce recent claims that no single MID can be applied to all EORTC QLQ-C30 scales and disease settings. MIDs varied by scale, improvement/deterioration, within/between comparisons and by cancer type. Researchers applying commonly used rules of thumb must be aware of the risk of dismissing changes that are clinically meaningful or underpowering analyses when smaller MIDs apply., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as symptoms, functioning, and other health-related quality-of-life concepts are gaining a more prominent role in the benefit-risk assessment of cancer therapies. However, varying ways of analysing, presenting, and interpreting PRO data could lead to erroneous and inconsistent decisions on the part of stakeholders, adversely affecting patient care and outcomes. The Setting International Standards in Analyzing Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Endpoints in Cancer Clinical Trials-Innovative Medicines Initiative (SISAQOL-IMI) Consortium builds on the existing SISAQOL work to establish recommendations on design, analysis, presentation, and interpretation for PRO data in cancer clinical trials, with an expanded set of topics, including more in-depth recommendations for randomised controlled trials and single-arm studies, and for defining clinically meaningful change. This Policy Review presents international stakeholder views on the need for SISAQOL-IMI, the agreed on and prioritised set of PRO objectives, and a roadmap to ensure that international consensus recommendations are achieved., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests SR is a current employee of Pfizer and a former employee of Novartis Pharma. JC, PC, and JR are current employees of Pfizer. VP and IG are current employees of EMD Serono. MS is a current employee of Merk. GV has received consulting fees or payment from or related to the following organisations: Pfizer, Eisai, Roche, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group, and the EORTC Board. KO's organisation has received sponsorship funding or grants for various annual programmes and activities from Bristol Myers Squibb, Novocure, Pfizer, Bayer, Novartis, Northwest Biotherapeutics, Karyopharm, MagForce, Medac, Photonamic, Apogenix, Elekta, and GW Pharmaceuticals/Jazz Pharmaceuticals; consulting fees from Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis; and honoraria from Sanofi, Sharing Progress in Cancer Care, and Seagen. KO participated in an advisory board for Novartis, Novocure, Seagen, Eisai, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Sanofi, and has leadership roles in a number of organisations. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients' reduced awareness of neurocognitive functioning (NCF) may negatively affect the reliability of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and clinical decision-making. This study evaluated cognitive awareness, defined as the association between NCF and neurocognitive complaints, over the disease course of patients with recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG)., Methods: We assessed NCF using the EORTC core clinical trial battery and neurocognitive complaints using the Medical Outcome Study questionnaire. Patients were categorised as impaired or intact, based on their neurocognitive performance. Spearman's rank correlations were calculated between NCF and neurocognitive complaints at baseline and each 12 weeks, until 36. The association between changes in NCF and neurocognitive complaints scores between these follow-up assessments was determined using Pearson's correlation., Results: A total of 546 patients were included. Neurocognitively impaired patients (n = 437) had more neurocognitive complaints (range: 10.51 [p < 0.001] to 13.34 [p = 0.001]) than intact patients (n = 109) at baseline, at 12 and 24 weeks. In intact patients, NCF and neurocognitive complaints were correlated for only one domain at baseline (0.202, p = 0.036), while in impaired patients correlations were more frequently found in various domains and time points (range: 0.164 [p = 0.001] to 0.334 [p = 0.011]). Over the disease course, NCF and neurocognitive complaints were correlated for only one domain at baseline (0.357, p = 0.014) in intact patients while in impaired patients they were correlated for more domains and time points (range: 0.222 [p < 0.001] to 0.366 [p < 0.001])., Conclusion: Neurocognitively impaired patients with recurrent HGG are aware of their neurocognitive limitations at study entry and during follow-up, which should be considered in clinical decision-making and when interpreting PRO results., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Fatigue is a commonly reported and severe symptom in primary brain tumor patients, but the exact occurrence in meningioma patients is unknown. This study aimed to determine the frequency and severity of fatigue in meningioma patients as well as associations between the level of fatigue and patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors., Methods: In this multicenter cross-sectional study, meningioma patients completed questionnaires on fatigue (MFI-20), sleep (PSQI), anxiety and depression (HADS), tumor-related symptoms (MDASI-BT), and cognitive functioning (MOS-CFS). Multivariable regression models were used to evaluate the independent association between fatigue and each patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factor separately, corrected for relevant confounders., Results: Based on predetermined in- and exclusion criteria, 275 patients, on average 5.3 (SD = 2.0) year since diagnosis, were recruited. Most patients had undergone resection (92%). Meningioma patients reported higher scores on all fatigue subscales compared to normative data and 26% were classified as fatigued. Having experienced a complication due to resection (OR 3.6, 95% CI: 1.8-7.0), having received radiotherapy (OR 2.4, 95% CI: 1.2-4.8), a higher number of comorbidities (OR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-1.9) and lower educational level (low level as reference; high level OR 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2-0.7) were independently associated with more fatigue., Conclusions: Fatigue is a frequent problem in meningioma patients even many years after treatment. Both patient- and treatment-related factors were determinants of fatigue, with the treatment-related factors being the most likely target for intervention in this patient population., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.)

A better understanding of transcriptional evolution of IDH-wild-type glioblastoma may be crucial for treatment optimization. Here, we perform RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) (n = 322 test, n = 245 validation) on paired primary-recurrent glioblastoma resections of patients treated with the current standard of care. Transcriptional subtypes form an interconnected continuum in a two-dimensional space. Recurrent tumors show preferential mesenchymal progression. Over time, hallmark glioblastoma genes are not significantly altered. Instead, tumor purity decreases over time and is accompanied by co-increases in neuron and oligodendrocyte marker genes and, independently, tumor-associated macrophages. A decrease is observed in endothelial marker genes. These composition changes are confirmed by single-cell RNA-seq and immunohistochemistry. An extracellular matrix-associated gene set increases at recurrence and bulk, single-cell RNA, and immunohistochemistry indicate it is expressed mainly by pericytes. This signature is associated with significantly worse survival at recurrence. Our data demonstrate that glioblastomas evolve mainly by microenvironment (re-)organization rather than molecular evolution of tumor cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: IDH1/2 wildtype (IDHwt) glioma WHO grade 2 and 3 patients with pTERT mutation and/or EGFR amplification and/or + 7/-10 chromosome gain/loss have a similar overall survival time as IDHwt glioblastoma patients, and are both considered glioblastoma IDHwt according to the WHO 2021 classification. However, differences in seizure onset have been observed. This study aimed to compare the course of epilepsy in the 2 glioblastoma subtypes., Methods: We analyzed epilepsy data of an existing cohort including IDHwt histologically lower-grade glioma WHO grade 2 and 3 with molecular glioblastoma-like profile (IDHwt hLGG) and IDHwt glioblastoma patients. Primary outcome was the incidence proportion of epilepsy during the disease course. Secondary outcomes included, among others, onset of epilepsy, number of seizure days, and antiepileptic drug (AED) polytherapy., Results: Out of 254 patients, 78% (50/64) IDHwt hLGG and 68% (129/190) IDHwt glioblastoma patients developed epilepsy during the disease (P = .121). Epilepsy onset before histopathological diagnosis occurred more frequently in IDHwt hLGG compared to IDHwt glioblastoma patients (90% vs 60%, P < .001), with a significantly longer median time to diagnosis (3.5 vs 1.3 months, P < .001). Median total seizure days was also longer for IDHwt hLGG patients (7.0 vs 3.0, P = .005), and they received more often AED polytherapy (32% vs 17%, P = .028)., Conclusions: Although the incidence proportion of epilepsy during the entire disease course is similar, IDHwt hLGG patients show a significantly higher incidence of epilepsy before diagnosis and a significantly longer median time between first seizure and diagnosis compared to IDHwt glioblastoma patients, indicating a distinct clinical course., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Objectives: Approximately 10% of patients with glioma with epilepsy need antiseizure medication (ASM) triple therapy due to refractory epilepsy. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether levetiracetam combined with valproic acid and clobazam (LEV + VPA + CLB), a frequently prescribed triple therapy, has favorable effectiveness compared with other triple therapy combinations in patients with glioma., Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective observational cohort study. The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of time to treatment failure for any reason, from the start of ASM triple therapy treatment. The secondary outcomes included cumulative incidences of the following: (1) time to treatment failure due to uncontrolled seizures; (2) time to treatment failure due to adverse effects; and (3) time to recurrent seizures. Patients were followed up for a maximum duration of 36 months., Results: Of 1,435 patients in the original cohort, 90 patients received ASM triple therapy after second-line ASM treatment failure due to uncontrolled seizures. LEV + VPA + CLB was prescribed to 48% (43/90) and other ASM triple therapy to 52% (47/90) of patients. The cumulative incidence of treatment failure for any reason of LEV + VPA + CLB did not statistically significantly differ from that of other ASM triple therapy combinations (12 months: 47% [95% CI 31%-62%] vs 42% [95% CI 27%-56%], p = 0.892). No statistically significant differences for treatment failure due to uncontrolled seizures (12 months: 12% [95% CI 4%-25%] vs 18% [95% CI 8%-30%], p = 0.445), adverse effects (12 months: 22% [95% CI 11%-36%] vs 15% [95% CI 7%-27%], p = 0.446), or recurrent seizures (1 month: 65% [95% CI 48%-78%] vs 63% [95% CI 47%-75%], p = 0.911) were found., Discussion: LEV + VPA + CLB might show equivalent effectiveness compared with other ASM triple therapy combinations in patients with glioma., Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that for patients with glioma with refractory epilepsy on triple therapy ASMs, LEV + VPA + CLB demonstrated similar effectiveness and tolerability compared with other ASM triple therapy combinations., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.)

Background: This systematic review provides updated insights, from the published literature in the past 5 years, based on the 2017 European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) guidelines for palliative care in adults with malignant brain tumors. It provides an overview of palliative care options, including during the end-of-life phase for patients with malignant brain tumors., Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted from 2016 to 2021 focusing on four main topics: (1) symptom management, (2) caregiver needs, (3) early palliative care, and (4) care in the end-of-life phase. An international panel of palliative care experts in neuro-oncology synthesized the literature and reported the most relevant updates. A total of 140 articles were included., Results: New insights include that: Hippocampal avoidance and stereotactic radiosurgery results in a lower risk of neurocognitive decline in patients with brain metastases; levetiracetam is more efficacious in reducing seizures than valproic acid as first-line monotherapy antiseizure drug (ASD) in glioma patients; lacosamide and perampanel seem well-tolerated and efficacious add-on ASDs; and a comprehensive framework of palliative and supportive care for high-grade glioma patients and their caregivers was proposed. No pharmacological agents have been shown in randomized controlled trials to significantly improve fatigue or neurocognition., Conclusions: Since the 2017 EANO palliative care guidelines, new insights have been reported regarding symptom management and end-of-life care, however, most recommendations remain unchanged. Early palliative care interventions are essential to define goals of care and minimize symptom burden in a timely fashion. Interventional studies that address pain, fatigue, and psychiatric symptoms as well as (the timing of) early palliative care are urgently needed., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: While patients with diffuse low-grade glioma (LGG) often survive for years, there is a risk of tumor progression which may impact patients' long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and neurocognitive functioning (NCF). We present a follow-up of LGG patients and their informal caregivers (T3) who took part in our previous HRQOL investigations (T1, M = 7 and T2 M = 13 years after diagnosis)., Methods: Participants completed HRQOL (short form-36 health survey [SF-36]; EORTC-BN20), fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength [CIS]), and depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression [CES-D]) questionnaires and underwent NCF assessments. T3 scores were compared with matched controls. Changes over time (T1-T2-T3) on group and participant level were assessed. Where available, histology of the initial tumor was revised and immunohistochemical staining for IDH1 R132H mutant protein was performed., Results: Thirty patients and nineteen caregivers participated. Of N = 11 with tissue available, 3 patients had confirmed diffuse LGG. At T3, patients (M = 26 years after diagnosis) had HRQOL and NCF similar to, or better than controls, yet 23.3% and 53.3% scored above the cut-off for depression (≥16 CES-D) and fatigue (≥35 CIS), respectively. Caregivers' HRQOL was similar to controls but reported high rates of fatigue (63.2%). Over time, patients' mental health improved (P < .05). Minimal detectable change in HRQOL over time was observed in individual patients (30% improvement; 23.3% decline; 20% both improvement and decline) with 23.3% remaining stable. NCF remained stable or improved in 82.8% of patients., Conclusions: While HRQOL and NCF do not appear greatly impacted during long-term survivorship in LGG, depressive symptoms and fatigue are persistent., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.)

The management of primary central nervous system (PCNSL) is one of the most controversial topics in neuro-oncology because of the complexity of the disease and the limited number of controlled studies available. In 2021, given recent advances and the publication of practice-changing randomized trials, the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) created a multidisciplinary task force to update the previously published evidence-based guidelines for immunocompetent adult patients with PCNSL and added a section on immunosuppressed patients. The guideline provides consensus considerations and recommendations for the treatment of PCNSL, including intraocular manifestations and specific management of the elderly. The main changes from the previous guideline include strengthened evidence for the consolidation with ASCT in first-line treatment, prospectively assessed chemotherapy combinations for both young and elderly patients, clarification of the role of rituximab even though the data remain inconclusive, of the role of new agents, and the incorporation of immunosuppressed patients and primary ocular lymphoma. The guideline should aid the clinicians in everyday practice and decision making and serve as a basis for future research in the field., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Objectives: Patients with glioblastoma have a high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the role of underlying genetic risk factors remains largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to discover whether genetic aberrations in glioblastoma associate with VTE risk., Methods: In this cohort study, all consecutive patients diagnosed with glioblastoma in two Dutch hospitals between February 2017 and August 2020 were included. Targeted DNA next-generation sequencing of all glioblastomas was performed for diagnostic purposes and included mutational status of the genes ATRX, BRAF, CIC, FUBP1, H3F3A, IDH1, IDH2, PIK3CA, PTEN and TP53 and amplification/gain or deletion of BRAF, CDKN2A, EGFR, NOTCH1 and PTEN. The primary outcome was VTE within three months before glioblastoma diagnosis until two years after. Cumulative incidences were determined using competing risk analysis adjusting for mortality. Univariable Cox regression analysis was performed to determine hazard ratios., Results: From 324 patients with glioblastoma, 25 were diagnosed with VTE. Patients with a CDKN2A deletion had a 12-month adjusted cumulative incidence of VTE of 12.5 % (95%CI: 7.3-19.3) compared with 5.4 % (95%CI: 2.6-9.6) in patients with CDKN2A wildtype (p = 0.020), corresponding to a HR of 2.53 (95%CI: 1.12-5.73, p = 0.026). No significant associations were found between any of the other investigated genes and VTE., Conclusion: This study suggests a potential role for CDKN2A deletion in glioblastoma-related VTE. Therefore, once independently validated, CDKN2A mutational status may be a promising predictor to identify glioblastoma patients at high risk for VTE, who may benefit from thromboprophylaxis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest F.A.K. reports research grants from Bayer, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, Actelion, the Dutch Heart foundation, and the Dutch Thrombosis Association, all outside the submitted work. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Historically, largely due to the good prognosis for survival, there has been little attention paid to the possible impact of meningiomas and their treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, in the last decade there has been increasing evidence that patients with intracranial meningiomas suffer from long-term decreases in their HRQoL. Compared with controls and normative data, meningioma patients have worse HRQoL scores both before and after intervention and continuing long term (even after >4 years of follow-up). Overall, surgery results in improvements in many aspects of HRQoL. The limited available studies investigating the impact of radiotherapy suggest that this type of treatment decreases HRQoL scores, especially in the long term. There is however only limited evidence on additional determinants of HRQoL. Patients with anatomically complex skull base meningiomas and severe comorbidities, including epilepsy, report the lowest HRQoL scores. Other tumor and sociodemographic characteristics have shown weak associations with HRQoL. Furthermore, about one-third of caregivers of meningioma patients report caregiver burden, warranting interventions to improve caregiver HRQoL. As antitumor interventions may not improve HRQoL scores to be comparable to those of the general population, more attention should be paid to the development of integrative rehabilitation and supportive care programs for meningioma patients., (© 2023. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Objective: This study aimed to directly compare the effectiveness of first-line monotherapy levetiracetam (LEV) versus enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications (EIASMs) in glioma patients., Methods: In this nationwide retrospective observational cohort study, Grade 2-4 glioma patients were included, with a maximum duration of follow-up of 36 months. Primary outcome was antiseizure medication (ASM) treatment failure for any reason, and secondary outcomes were treatment failure due to uncontrolled seizures and due to adverse effects. For estimation of the association between ASM treatment and ASM treatment failure, multivariate cause-specific cox proportional hazard models were estimated, adjusting for potential confounders., Results: In the original cohort, a total of 808 brain tumor patients with epilepsy were included, of whom 109 glioma patients were prescribed first-line LEV and 183 glioma patients first-line EIASMs. The EIASM group had a significantly higher risk of treatment failure for any reason compared to LEV (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20-2.75, p = .005). Treatment failure due to uncontrolled seizures did not differ significantly between EIASMs and LEV (aHR = 1.32, 95% CI = .78-2.25, p = .300), but treatment failure due to adverse effects differed significantly (aHR = 4.87, 95% CI = 1.89-12.55, p = .001)., Significance: In this study, it was demonstrated that LEV had a significantly better effectiveness (i.e., less ASM treatment failure for any reason or due to adverse effects) compared to EIASMs, supporting the current neuro-oncology guideline recommendations to avoid EIASMs in glioma patients., (© 2022 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.)

Background: Maintenance of functioning and well-being during the progression-free survival (PFS) period is important for glioma patients. This study aimed to determine whether health-related quality of life (HRQoL) can be maintained during progression-free time, and factors associated with HRQoL deterioration in this period., Methods: We included longitudinal HRQoL data from previously published clinical trials in glioma. The percentage of patients with stable HRQoL until progression was determined per scale and at the individual patient level (i.e. considering all scales simultaneously). We assessed time to a clinically relevant deterioration in HRQoL, expressed in deterioration-free survival and time-to-deterioration (the first including progression as an event). We also determined the association between sociodemographic and clinical factors and HRQoL deterioration in the progression-free period., Results: Five thousand five hundred and thirty-nine patients with at least baseline HRQoL scores had a median time from randomization to progression of 7.6 months. Between 9-29% of the patients deteriorated before disease progression on the evaluated HRQoL scales. When considering all scales simultaneously, 47% of patients deteriorated on ≥1 scale. Median deterioration-free survival period ranged between 3.8-5.4 months, and median time-to-deterioration between 8.2-11.9 months. For most scales, only poor performance status was independently associated with clinically relevant HRQoL deterioration in the progression-free period., Conclusions: HRQoL was maintained in only 53% of patients in their progression-free period, and treatment was not independently associated with this deterioration in HRQoL. Routine monitoring of the patients' functioning and well-being during the entire disease course is therefore important, so that interventions can be initiated when problems are signaled., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.)

Introduction: Surgery remains the mainstay for treatment of primary glioblastoma, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Current standard of care during surgery involves the intraoperative use of image-guidance and 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). There are multiple other surgical adjuncts available to the neuro-oncology surgeon. However, access to, and usage of these varies widely in UK practice, with limited evidence of their use. The aim of this trial is to investigate whether the addition of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) to the standard of care surgery (intraoperative neuronavigation and 5-ALA) impacts on deterioration free survival (DFS)., Methods and Analysis: This is a two-stage, randomised control trial (RCT) consisting of an initial non-randomised cohort study based on the principles of the IDEAL (Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment and Long-term follow-up) stage-IIb format, followed by a statistically powered randomised trial comparing the addition of DTI and iUS to the standard of care surgery. A total of 357 patients will be recruited for the RCT. The primary outcome is DFS, defined as the time to either 10-point deterioration in health-related quality of life scores from baseline, without subsequent reversal, progressive disease or death., Ethics and Dissemination: The trial was registered in the Integrated Research Application System (Ref: 264482) and approved by a UK research and ethics committee (Ref: 20/LO/0840). Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Further dissemination to participants, patient groups and the wider medical community will use a range of approaches to maximise impact., Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN38834571., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: The rate of missing data on patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in brain tumor clinical trials is particularly high over time. One solution to this issue is the use of proxy (i.e., partner, relative, informal caregiver) ratings in lieu of patient-reported outcomes (PROs). In this study we investigated patient-proxy agreement on HRQOL outcomes in high-grade glioma (HGG) patients., Methods: Generic and disease-specific HRQOL were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BN20 in a sample of 501 patient-proxy dyads participating in EORTC trials 26101 and 26091. Patients were classified as impaired or intact, based on their neurocognitive performance. The level of patient-proxy agreement was measured using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and the Bland-Altman limit of agreement. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to evaluate differences between patients' and proxies' HRQOL., Results: Patient-proxy agreement in all HGG patients (N = 501) ranged from 0.082 to 0.460. Only 18.8% of all patients were neurocognitively intact. Lin's CCC ranged from 0.088 to 0.455 in cognitively impaired patients and their proxies and from 0.027 to 0.538 in cognitively intact patients and their proxies., Conclusion: While patient-proxy agreement on health-related quality of life outcomes is somewhat higher in cognitively intact patients, agreement in high-grade glioma patients is low in general. In light of these findings, we suggest to cautiously consider the use of proxy's evaluation in lieu of patient-reported outcomes, regardless of patient's neurocognitive status., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose of Review: A concise review of recent findings in brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTRE), with focus on the effect of antitumor treatment on seizure control and the management of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs)., Recent Findings: Isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation and its active metabolite d -2-hydroxyglutarate seem important contributing factors to epileptogenesis in BTRE. A beneficial effect of antitumor treatment (i.e. surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy) on seizure control has mainly been demonstrated in low-grade glioma. AED prophylaxis in seizure-naïve BTRE patients is not recommended, but AED treatment should be initiated after a first seizure has occurred. Comparative efficacy randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are currently lacking, but second-generation AED levetiracetam seems the preferred choice in BTRE. Levetiracetam lacks significant drug-drug interactions, has shown favorable efficacy compared to valproic acid in BTRE, generally causes no hematological or neurocognitive functioning adverse effects, but caution should be exercised with regard to psychiatric adverse effects. Potential add-on AEDs in case of uncontrolled seizures include lacosamide, perampanel, and valproic acid. Ultimately, in the end-of-life phase when oral intake of medication is hampered, benzodiazepines via nonoral administration routes are potential alternatives., Summary: Management of seizures in BTRE is complex and with currently available evidence levetiracetam seems the preferred choice. Comparative efficacy RCTs in BTRE are warranted., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background and Objectives: About 30% of patients with glioma need an add-on antiseizure medication (ASM) due to uncontrolled seizures on ASM monotherapy. This study aimed to determine whether levetiracetam combined with valproic acid (LEV + VPA), a commonly prescribed duotherapy, is more effective than other duotherapy combinations including either LEV or VPA in patients with glioma., Methods: In this multicenter retrospective observational cohort study, treatment failure (i.e., replacement by, addition of, or withdrawal of an ASM) for any reason was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included (1) treatment failure due to uncontrolled seizures and (2) treatment failure due to adverse effects. Time to treatment failure was estimated from the moment of ASM duotherapy initiation. Multivariable cause-specific Cox proportional hazard models were estimated to study the association between risk factors and treatment failure. The maximum duration of follow-up was 36 months., Results: A total of 1,435 patients were treated with first-line monotherapy LEV or VPA, of which 355 patients received ASM duotherapy after they had treatment failure due to uncontrolled seizures on monotherapy. LEV + VPA was prescribed in 66% (236/355) and other ASM duotherapy combinations including LEV or VPA in 34% (119/355) of patients. Patients using other duotherapy vs LEV + VPA had a higher risk of treatment failure for any reason (cause-specific adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.50 [95% CI 1.07-2.12], p = 0.020), due to uncontrolled seizures (cause-specific aHR 1.73 [95% CI 1.10-2.73], p = 0.018), but not due to adverse effects (cause-specific aHR 0.88 [95% CI 0.47-1.67], p = 0.703)., Discussion: This observational cohort study suggests that LEV + VPA has better efficacy than other ASM combinations. Similar toxicities were experienced in the 2 groups., Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that for patients with glioma with uncontrolled seizures on ASM monotherapy, LEV + VPA has better efficacy than other ASM combinations., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.)

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the basis of the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported. Anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors (AOTs) are chemotherapy-sensitive brain tumors. We report the final very long-term survival results from European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer 26951 and Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 9402 phase III trials initiated in 1990s, which both studied radiotherapy with/without neo/adjuvant procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine (PCV) for newly diagnosed anaplastic oligodendroglial tumors. The median follow-up duration in both was 18-19 years. For European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer 26951, median, 14-year, and probable 20-year overall survival rates without versus with PCV were 2.6 years, 13.4%, and 10.1% versus 3.5 years, 25.1%, and 16.8% (N = 368 overall; hazard ratio [HR] 0.78; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.98; P = .033), with 1p19q codeletion 9.3 years, 26.2%, and 13.6% versus 14.2 years, 51.0%, and 37.1% (n = 80; HR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.03; P = .063), respectively. For Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 9402, analogous results were 4.8 years, 16.5%, and 11.2% versus 4.8 years, 29.1%, and 24.6% (N = 289 overall; HR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.03; P = .08), with codeletion 7.3 years, 25.0%, and 14.9% versus 13.2 years, 46.1%, and 37% (n = 125; HR 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.94; P = .02), respectively. With that, the studies show similar long-term survival even without tumor recurrence in a significant proportion of patients after first-line treatment with radiotherapy/PCV., Competing Interests: Andrew B. LassmanConsulting or Advisory Role: Karyopharm Therapeutics, Sapience Therapeutics, Bayer, Orbus Therapeutics, BioClinica, Novocure, Elsevier, Vivacitas Oncology, ChimerixResearch Funding: AbbVie (Inst), Novartis (Inst), Genentech/Roche (Inst), Aeterna Zentaris (Inst), Kadmon (Inst), BeiGene (Inst), VBI Vaccines (Inst), Pfizer (Inst), Millennium (Inst), Karyopharm Therapeutics (Inst), Bayer (Inst), QED Therapeutics (Inst), Orbus Therapeutics (Inst), BMS (Inst), Chimerix (Inst), NextSource (Inst), DelMar Pharmaceuticals (Inst), Corden (Inst), Kazia Therapeutics (Inst), Servier (Inst), Semus (Inst), Novocure (Inst)Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Karyopharm Therapeutics, QED Therapeutics, Novartis, Pfizer, VBI Vaccines, Chimerix, Orbus Therapeutics, Novocure Khê Hoang-XuanHonoraria: BTG J. Gregory CairncrossOther Relationship: IQVIA Lynn S. AshbyHonoraria: Arbor Pharmaceuticals Luis SouhamiHonoraria: Varian Medical SystemsConsulting or Advisory Role: AbbVieResearch Funding: Sanofi (Inst)Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Varian Medical Systems Winand N.M. DinjensConsulting or Advisory Role: Bristol Myers Squibb, Roche, Bayer, AstraZeneca, Novartis, LillySpeakers' Bureau: medtlks Nadia N. LaackResearch Funding: Bristol Myers Squib (Inst) Karen L. FinkResearch Funding: Northwest Biotherapeutics (Inst), Novocure (Inst), Orbus Therapeutics (Inst), Denovo Biopharma (Inst), Translational Genomics Research Institute (Inst), CNS Pharmaceuticals (Inst), Agios (Inst), Incyte (Inst) Pim J. FrenchEmployment: Bristol Myers Squibb (I), Janssen-Cilag (I)Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Bristol Myers Squibb (I)Honoraria: AurikamedConsulting or Advisory Role: Clarionhealthcare David R. MacdonaldResearch Funding: Celgene (Inst), SERVIER (Inst). Minesh MehtaLeadership: OncoceuticsStock and Other Ownership Interests: ChimerixConsulting or Advisory Role: Karyopharm Therapeutics, Mevion Medical Systems, ZappRx, Sapience Therapeutics, XoftPatents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property: WARF patent 14/934,27, Topical Vasoconstritor Preparations and Methods for Protecting Cells During Cancer Chemotherapy and RadiotherapyUncompensated Relationships: Xcision Medical SystemsUncompensated Relationships: ViewRay Martin J. van den BentEmployment: AstraZeneca (I)Consulting or Advisory Role: Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, carthera, Genenta Science, Nerviano Medical Sciences, Boston Pharmaceuticals, chimerix, AstraZenecaResearch Funding: AbbVie (Inst)No other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Background: Glioblastoma patients are considered to be at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding (MB), although reliable incidence estimates are lacking. Moreover, the risk of arterial thromboembolism (ATE) in these patients is largely unknown. Our aim was to assess the cumulative incidence, predictors, and prognostic impact of VTE, ATE, and MB on subsequent complications and mortality., Methods: Cohort study of 967 consecutive patients diagnosed with glioblastoma between 2004-2020 in two hospitals. Patients were followed from 6 months before date of histopathological glioblastoma diagnosis up to 2 years after, or until an outcome of interest (VTE, ATE, and MB) or death occurred, depending on the analysis. Cumulative incidences were estimated with death as competing risk. Cox regression was used to identify predictors and the prognostic impact., Results: A total of 101 patients were diagnosed with VTE, 50 with ATE, and 126 with MB during a median follow-up of 15 months (interquartile range 9.0-22). The adjusted 1-year cumulative incidence of VTE was 7.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.9-9.3), of ATE 4.1% (95% CI 3.0-5.6), and of MB 12% (95% CI 9.6-14). Older age, type of surgery, and performance status were predictors of VTE. Incident VTE during follow-up was associated with MB (adjusted HR 4.7, 95% CI 2.5-9.0). MB and VTE were associated with mortality (adjusted HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3-2.1 and 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.7, respectively)., Conclusion: We found considerable incidences of VTE and MB in glioblastoma patients, with both complications associated with poorer prognosis. Our observations emphasize the need for prospective studies to determine optimal thromboprophylaxis and VTE treatment strategy in these patients., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.)

Core Outcome Sets (COS) define minimum outcomes to be measured and reported in clinical effectiveness trials for a particular health condition/health area. Despite recognition as critical to clinical research design for other health areas, none have been developed for neuro-oncology. COS development projects should carefully consider: scope (how the COS should be used), stakeholders involved in development (including patients as both research partners and participants), and consensus methodologies used (typically a Delphi survey and consensus meeting), as well as dissemination plans. Developing COS for neuro-oncology is potentially challenging due to extensive tumor subclassification (including molecular stratification), different symptoms related to anatomical tumor location, and variation in treatment options. Development of a COS specific to tumor subtype, in a specific location, for a particular intervention may be too narrow and would be unlikely to be used. Equally, a COS that is applicable across a wider area of neuro-oncology may be too broad and therefore lack specificity. This review describes why and how a COS may be developed, and discusses challenges for their development, specific to neuro-oncology. The COS under development are briefly described, including: adult glioma, incidental/untreated meningioma, meningioma requiring intervention, and adverse events from surgical intervention for pediatric brain tumors., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.)