Research Article: Efficacy of tumor treating fields in high-grade glioma: a real-world retrospective analysis of 28 patients
Abstract:
To evaluate the efficacy of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in 28 patients with high-grade gliomas in a real-world setting.
A retrospective analysis was performed on 19 newly diagnosed and 9 recurrent high-grade glioma patients treated at Shenzhen People’s Hospital from March 2019 to February 2022. All patients underwent TTFields therapy for at least one month. Tumor stability or progression was assessed using the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated with the Kaplan–Meier method. Adverse events were recorded using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0 and TTFields-related dermatologic adverse event (dAE) grading scale. Treatment adherence was assessed through the device usage data from the NonoTTF-200A system.
As of August 2024, the median duration of TTFields use was 9.4?months, with a median adherence rate of 88.05% (range: 54.3–92%). Among newly diagnosed patients, the median PFS and OS were 18.1 and 22.0?months, respectively. In the recurrent cohort, median PFS and OS were 9.1 and 18.2?months. The most common adverse events were grade 1–2 dermatologic reactions, including folliculitis, rash, and ulcers, with no grade 3–4 TTFields-related toxicities observed.
These real-world, retrospective findings suggest that TTFields therapy is feasible, well tolerated, and associated with high treatment adherence in patients with high-grade gliomas. Observed survival outcomes were descriptively consistent with previously reported clinical and real-world data; however, given the small sample size and observational design, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. Prospective studies with larger cohorts are warranted to further evaluate the role of TTFields in glioma management.
Introduction:
High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are the most common primary malignant tumors of the central nervous system, characterized by aggressive proliferation and invasiveness. Among these, glioblastoma (GBM) has the poorest prognosis. The current standard treatment for GBM involves maximal safe surgical resection, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and concurrent maintenance chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) ( 1 ). Despite this multimodal approach, the median progression-free survival (PFS) for GBM patients remains only…
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