The course of tumor-related epilepsy in glioblastoma patients: A retrospective analysis

Stritzelberger J, Gesmann A, Fuhrmann I, Uhl M, Brandner S, Welte T, Schembs L, Dörfler A, Coras R, Adler W, Schwab S, Putz F, Fietkau R, Distel L, Hamer H (2024)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

Epilepsy and Behavior Elsevier

Book Volume: 158

Article Number: 109919

DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2024.109919

Abstract

Purpose: Many patients with glioblastoma suffer from tumor-related seizures. However, there is limited data on the characteristics of tumor-related epilepsy achieving seizure freedom. The aim of this study was to characterize the course of epilepsy in patients with glioblastoma and the factors that influence it. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of glioblastoma patients treated at the University Hospital Erlangen between 01/2006 and 01/2020. Results: In the final cohort of patients with glioblastoma (n = 520), 292 patients (56.2 %) suffered from tumor-related epilepsy (persons with epilepsy, PWE). Levetiracetam was the most commonly used first-line antiseizure medication (n = 245, 83.9 % of PWE). The onset of epilepsy was preoperative in 154/292 patients (52.7 %). 136 PWE (46.6 %) experienced only one single seizure while 27/292 PWE (9.2 %) developed drug-resistant epilepsy. Status epilepticus occurred in 48/292 patients (16.4 %). Early postoperative onset (within 30 days of surgery) of epilepsy and total gross resection (compared with debulking) were independently associated with a lower risk of further seizures. We did not detect dose-dependent pro- or antiseizure effects of radiochemotherapy. Conclusion: Tumor-related epilepsy occurred in more than 50% of our cohort, but drug-resistant epilepsy developed in less than 10% of cases. Epilepsy usually started before tumor surgery.

Authors with CRIS profile

Jenny Stritzelberger Department of Neurology Anna Gesmann Department of Neurology Martin Uhl Department of Neurology Sebastian Brandner Department of Neurosurgery Tamara Welte Department of Neurology Leah Schembs Neuroradiologisches Institut Arnd Dörfler Lehrstuhl für Neuroradiologie Roland Coras Institute of Neuropathology Werner Adler Lehrstuhl für Biometrie und Epidemiologie (IMBE) Stefan Schwab Lehrstuhl für Neurologie Florian Putz Department of Radiation Oncology Rainer Fietkau Lehrstuhl für Strahlentherapie Luitpold Distel Department of Radiation Oncology Hajo Hamer Professur für Epileptologie

How to cite

APA:

Stritzelberger, J., Gesmann, A., Fuhrmann, I., Uhl, M., Brandner, S., Welte, T.,... Hamer, H. (2024). The course of tumor-related epilepsy in glioblastoma patients: A retrospective analysis. Epilepsy and Behavior, 158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2024.109919

MLA:

Stritzelberger, Jenny, et al. "The course of tumor-related epilepsy in glioblastoma patients: A retrospective analysis." Epilepsy and Behavior 158 (2024).

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