Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42033515›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuro-oncology2026

Clinical, molecular, and immunologic determinants of survival in WHO-defined IDH-wildtype glioblastoma treated with radiotherapy: a large real-world cohort study.

Cole Friedes, Melanie Berger, Lauren Linkowski, Casey Hollawell, Harper Hubbeling, Daniel Alexander, Goldie Kurtz, Robert A Lustig, Jay F Dorsey, Arati S Desai and 11 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuro-oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Cole FriedesDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Melanie BergerDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Lauren LinkowskiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Casey HollawellDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Harper HubbelingDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Daniel AlexanderDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Goldie KurtzDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Robert A LustigDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Jay F DorseyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Arati S DesaiDepartment of Neuro-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Richard E PhillipsDepartment of Neuro-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Steven BremDepartment of Neurosurgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Christos DavatzikosDivision of Neuroradiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
MacLean NasrallahDivision of Neuropathology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Donald M O'RourkeDepartment of Neurosurgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Christina JacksonDepartment of Neurosurgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Nduka M AmankulorDepartment of Neurosurgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Michelle Alonso-BasantaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Suyash MohanDivision of Neuroradiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Stephen J BagleyDepartment of Neuro-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Emily S LebowDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. emily.lebow@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionGlioblastoma (WHO grade 4), defined by IDH-wildtype status and associated molecular features, carries poor prognosis, and real-world survival models incorporating molecular and immunologic variables remain limited. Severe radiation-induced lymphopenia (sRIL) is a proposed prognostic factor, but its independent effect in molecularly defined glioblastoma has not been established in the modern era.

methodsWe retrospectively identified 832 adults with glioblastoma, defined as WHO 2021 grade 4 IDH-wildtype diffuse glioma treated with maximal safe resection and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy between 2014 and 2024. A trial-eligible subgroup was defined using Stupp criteria. Clinical, molecular, and hematologic variables were analyzed. sRIL was defined as CTCAE grade ≥ 3 lymphopenia within 4 months of RT. Multivariable Cox models incorporated LASSO for variable selection and spline regression for non-linearity.

resultsMedian overall survival (OS) was 13.0 months. On multivariable analysis, sRIL (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.63) remained an independent predictor of worse OS after adjustment for MGMT status, age, resection extent, and treatment factors. MGMT methylation predicted benefit from concurrent TMZ (pinteraction<0.001), and trial-eligible patients had longer OS across MGMT subgroups. Age and post-RT lymphocyte nadir were non-linearly associated with survival. Proton therapy was associated with a favorable but non-significant OS estimate (HR 0.87, p = 0.11), with no benefit in the trial-eligible cohort.

conclusionsIn this large, real-world cohort, sRIL remained a strong independent prognostic factor. MGMT methylation predicted TMZ benefit, and trial eligibility conferred favorable outcomes. These findings underscore the prognostic relevance of post-treatment lymphopenia and support prospective evaluation of lymphocyte-sparing treatment strategies.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsGlioblastomaIsocitrate DehydrogenaseLymphopeniaAdolescentAdultAgedChemoradiotherapy, AdjuvantDNA Modification MethylasesDNA Repair EnzymesFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMaleMethylationDNA Modification MethylasesDNA Repair EnzymesIsocitrate DehydrogenaseMGMT protein, humanTemozolomideTumor Suppressor ProteinsGlioblastomaHigh grade gliomaLymphopeniaMolecular GBMPrognostic factors

Identifiers

PMID42033515
PMCPMC13110210

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.