Cancer Research and Treatment

Original Articles

To Use or Not to Use: Temozolomide in Elderly Patients with IDH Wild-Type MGMT Promoter Unmethylated Glioblastoma Treated with Radiotherapy: Chan Woo Wee, Joo Ho Lee, Hye In Lee, Jina Kim, Jong Hee Chang, Seok-Gu Kang, Eui Hyun Kim, Ju Hyung Moon, Jaeho Cho, Chul-Kee Park, Chae-Yong Kim, Kihwan Hwang, Hong In Yoon, In Ah Kim; Received September 27, 2024 Accepted November 8, 2024 Published online November 11, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.945 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to identify a specific subgroup of patients among elderly glioblastoma patients aged 70 years or older with unmethylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase promoters (eGBM-unmethylated) who would significantly benefit from the addition of temozolomide (TMZ) to radiotherapy (RT).
Materials and Methods
Newly diagnosed patients with Isocitrate dehydrogenase wild-type eGBM-unmethylated treated with RT were included in this multicenter analysis (n=182). RT dose was 45 Gy in 15 fractions (62.3%), 60 Gy in 30 fractions, or 61.2 Gy in 34 fractions. For patients treated with RT plus TMZ (60.4%), TMZ was administered concurrently with RT, followed by six adjuvant cycles. The primary endpoint was overall survival.
Results
During a median follow-up of 11.3 months for survivors, the median survival was 12.2 months. The median survival duration significantly improved with the addition of TMZ to RT compared with that with RT alone (13.6 months vs. 10.5 months, p=0.028). In the multivariable analysis adjusted for clinical, radiological, and genetic biomarkers, the addition of TMZ significantly improved overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.459; p=0.006). In subgroup analysis, median survival was especially improved by 4-5 months in patients with residual disease (p < 0.001), Karnofsky performance status ≥ 60 (p=0.033), and age ≤ 75 years (p=0.090). A significant benefit of TMZ was noted only in patients with two or three of the above factors (median survival, 14.1 months vs. 10.5 months; p=0.014).
Conclusion
The addition of TMZ significantly improved the survival of patients with eGBM-unmethylated treated with RT. The suggested criteria for the specific subgroup in these patients warrant external validation for clinical application.

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Lung and Thoracic cancer

Unraveling the Impact of Sarcopenia-Induced Lymphopenia on Treatment Response and Prognosis in Patients with Stage III Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Insights for Optimizing Chemoradiation and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor: Joongyo Lee, Kyung Hwan Kim, Jina Kim, Chang Geol Lee, Jaeho Cho, Hong In Yoon, Yeona Cho; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(2):422-433. Published online October 30, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.493

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
Sarcopenia is a poor prognostic factor in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its prognostic significance in patients with NSCLC receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and its relationship with lymphopenia remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the prognostic role of sarcopenia and its effect on lymphocyte recovery in patients with stage III NSCLC treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by ICI.
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively evaluated 151 patients with stage III NSCLC who received definitive CCRT followed by maintenance ICI between January 2016 and June 2022. Sarcopenia was evaluated by measuring the skeletal muscle area at the L3 vertebra level using computed tomography scans. Lymphocyte level changes were assessed based on measurements taken before and during CCRT and at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months post-CCRT completion.
Results
Even after adjusting for baseline absolute lymphocyte count through propensity score-matching, patients with pre-radiotherapy (RT) sarcopenia (n=86) exhibited poor lymphocyte recovery and a significantly high incidence of grade ≥ 3 lymphopenia during CCRT. Pre-RT sarcopenia and grade ≥ 3 lymphopenia during CCRT emerged as prognostic factors for overall survival and progression-free survival, respectively. Concurrent chemotherapy dose adjustments, objective response after CCRT, and discontinuation of maintenance ICI were also analyzed as independent prognostic factors.
Conclusion
Our results demonstrated an association between pre-RT sarcopenia and poor survival, concurrent chemotherapy dose adjustments, and impaired lymphocyte recovery after definitive CCRT. Moreover, CCRT-induced lymphopenia not only contributed to poor prognosis but may have also impaired the therapeutic efficacy of subsequent maintenance ICI, ultimately worsening treatment outcomes.

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CNS cancer

Choosing Wisely between Radiotherapy Dose-Fractionation Schedules: The Molecular Graded Prognostic Assessment for Elderly Glioblastoma Patients: Hye In Lee, Jina Kim, In Ah Kim, Joo Ho Lee, Jaeho Cho, Rifaquat Rahman, Geoffrey Fell, Chan Woo Wee, Hong In Yoon; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(2):378-386. Published online September 11, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.680

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to develop a graded prognostic assessment (GPA) model integrating genomic characteristics for elderly patients with glioblastoma (eGBM), and to compare the efficacy of different radiotherapy schedules.
Materials and Methods
This multi-institutional retrospective study included patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent surgical resection followed by radiotherapy with or without temozolomide (TMZ) for newly diagnosed eGBM. Based on the significant factors identified in the multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS), the molecular GPA for eGBM (eGBM-molGPA) was established.
Results
A total of 334 and 239 patients who underwent conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) and hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) were included, respectively, with 86% of patients receiving TMZ-based chemoradiation. With a median follow-up of 17.4 months (range, 3.3 to 149.9 months), the median OS was 18.7 months for CFRT+TMZ group, 15.1 months for HFRT+TMZ group, and 10.4 months for radiotherapy alone group (CFRT+TMZ vs. HFRT+TMZ: hazard ratio [HR], 1.52; p < 0.001 and CFRT+TMZ vs. radiotherapy alone: HR, 2.52; p < 0.001). In a combined analysis with the NOA-08 and Nordic trials, CFRT+TMZ group exhibited the highest survival rates among all treatment groups. The eGBM-molGPA, which integrated four clinical and three molecular parameters, stratified patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. CFRT+TMZ significantly improved OS compared to HFRT+TMZ or radiotherapy alone in the low-risk (p=0.023) and intermediate-risk groups (p < 0.001). However, in the high-risk group, there was no significant difference in OS between treatment options (p=0.770).
Conclusion
CFRT+TMZ may be more effective than HFRT+TMZ or radiotherapy alone for selected eGBM patients. The novel eGBM-molGPA model can guide treatment selection for this patient population.

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