Treatment options for recurrent glioblastoma: pitfalls and future trends

Abstract

Standard treatment with temozolomide and radiotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma has increased the median overall survival and, more importantly, the 2-year survival rate of patients. However, as yet, no investigations have been conducted to define effective strategies against recurrence, which occurs in most patients following combined radiotherapy/temozolomide treatment. Furthermore, in recent years, new issues have emerged regarding the evaluation of disease response, and also with the identification of patterns such as pseudoprogression, frequently indistinguishable from real disease progression. New therapeutic strategies, such as targeted therapies and anti-angiogenic treatments that appear promising with regard to improving the results at the time of recurrence are discussed.

Keywords::

• glioblastoma
• radiotherapy
• recurrent
• target therapy
• temozolomide

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.