Valganciclovir as add-on to standard therapy in glioblastoma patients
Menée à partir de données portant sur 102 patients atteints d’un glioblastome récemment diagnostiqué, cette étude rétrospective évalue l’efficacité, du point de vue de la survie globale, et la toxicité de l’ajout du valganciclovir (un médicament antiviral) à une thérapie standard
Purpose: Several groups have reported a prevalence of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) in glioblastoma close to 100%. Previously, we reported that treatment with the antiviral drug valganciclovir as an add-on to standard therapy significantly prolonged survival in 50 glioblastoma patients. Here we present an updated retrospective analysis that includes an additional 52 patients. Experimental Design: From December 2006 to November 2019, 102 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma received valganciclovir as an add-on to standard therapy. No additional toxicity was observed. Contemporary controls were 231 glioblastoma patients who received similar baseline therapy. Results: Patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma receiving valganciclovir had longer median survival (OS 24.1 vs 13.3 months, p<0.0001) and a 2-year survival rate (49.8% vs 17.3%) than controls. Time to tumor progression (TTP) was also longer than in controls; 9.9 (0.7-67.5 months), vs. 7.3 (1.2-49 months), p=0.0003. Valganciclovir improved survival in patients with radical or partial resection and an unmethylated or methylated MGMT promoter gene. Conclusions: Valganciclovir prolonged median OS of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (with methylated or unmethylated MGMT promoter gene), and was safe to use.