Utilization and impact of adjuvant therapy in anaplastic oligodendroglioma: an analysis on 1692 patients

The aim of this study was to determine the utilization rates and impact of adjuvant therapy on overall survival (OS) for anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO). Data were extracted from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Chi square test, Kaplan–Meier method, and Cox regression models were employed in SPSS 22.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) for data analyses. 1692 patients with AO who underwent surgery were identified. 945 (55.9 %) received adjuvant radiotherapy with concomitant chemotherapy (chemoRT), 102 (6.0 %) adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) sequentially followed by chemotherapy, 244 (14.4 %) adjuvant RT alone, and 401 (23.7 %) received no adjuvant therapy. Patients were more likely to receive adjuvant chemoRT if they were diagnosed in 2009-2013 vs. 2004–2008 (p < 0.001), had Karnofsky Performance Status >70 vs. <70 (p = 0.018), had private insurance vs. Medicaid vs. no insurance (p < 0.001), or had median income ≥$63,000 vs. <$63,000 (p = 0.014). Those who received adjuvant chemoRT (concomitant or sequential) had significantly better 5-year OS than those who received adjuvant RT alone or no adjuvant therapy (59.8 % vs. 65.0 % vs. 44.9 % vs. 45.6 %, p < 0.001). This significant 5-year OS benefit was also observed regardless of age. There was no difference in OS when comparing concomitant chemoRT to sequential RT and chemotherapy (p = 0.481). On multivariate analysis, receipt of adjuvant chemoRT (concomitant or sequential) remained an independent prognostic factor for improved OS. Adjuvant chemoRT (concomitant or sequential) is an independent prognostic factor for improved OS in anaplastic oligodendroglioma and should be considered for all clinically suitable patients who have undergone surgery for the disease.