TITLE:
Surgical Outcomes of Glioblastoma in a Low-Resource Environment
AUTHORS:
Djiby Jean Marcel Okamon, Soress Dongo, Wilfred Meuga, Louis Derou, Landry Drogba, Dominique N’Dri
KEYWORDS:
Glioblastoma, Prognostic Factors, Survival Analysis, Surgical Resection, Low-Resource Setting
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Neurosurgery,
Vol.16 No.1,
November
26,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, with a poor prognosis despite multimodal therapy. Prognosis is influenced by several clinical, radiological, and molecular factors, but data from Africa remain scarce. This study aimed to analyze survival outcomes and prognostic factors in patients undergoing surgical treatment for GBM in a low-resource setting. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center study of 31 patients treated for glioblastoma from January 2020 to December 2024. Overall survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors were assessed using Cox regression. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS v22, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: The mean age was 53 years (range, 35 - 76), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.1. Intracranial hypertension (100%), motor deficit (65%), and seizures (38%) were the main presenting symptoms. Resection was total in 45%, subtotal in 32%, and partial in 16%; 7% of patients underwent biopsy only. The Stupp protocol was initiated in 26 patients (84%), of whom 6 did not complete treatment. Median overall survival was 9.86 months. Median survival was 13 months for patients with Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) > 70% and 8 months for those with KPS ≤ 70%. Patients Conclusion: In this series, completion of the Stupp protocol was the main factor associated with prolonged survival. Larger prospective studies with molecular profiling are needed to refine prognostic assessment and improve therapeutic strategies.