Comorbidities delay RT in patients with brain tumours

Patients with malignant brain tumours and several comorbidities tend to have delayed radiotherapy (RT), reveals a study.

Some 219 patients diagnosed with high-grade gliomas (HGGs) or brain metastases were included in the analysis. Of these, 158 (72.1 percent) received adjuvant RT treatment. Among patients who underwent RT, 102 had timely treatment, while 53 received delayed treatment. Three patients had no available data for the timing of radiation.

RT timing status was significantly associated with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), indicating a higher probability of receiving late RT with a higher CCI score (p=0.048). Moreover, patients who received delayed RT also had a significantly longer interval between surgery and RT treatment than those with timed adjuvant RT (p<0.0001 for both).

The investigators retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of patients with HGGs and brain metastases who sought medical treatment at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science between 2019 and 2022. They explored the association of sociodemographic and clinical variables with RT status using multivariable logistic regression and survival analysis.

“Malignant tumours of the central nervous system are associated with high morbidity and mortality, requiring prompt and coordinated multidisciplinary care,” the investigators said. “Although adjuvant RT is a standard component of treatment that improves survival, delays in initiating RT remain common and may negatively impact patient outcomes.”