Acta Neurochirurgica · Published 2026-06-23 · DOI 10.1007/s00701-026-06924-1
Chul Ou Lee, Sun Yong Park, Yejin Yun, Ju Young Choi, Jae-Sung Park, Sin-Soo Jeun, Yeo Song Kim
Abstract Objective Glioblastoma (GBM) incidence increases with age, and its etiologies may differ between young and elderly patients. This study aimed to investigate genetic differences between young and elderly GBM patients using next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 124 GBM patients (< 65 years, n = 60; ≥ 65 years, n = 64) who underwent surgery at two institutions between 2017 and 2022. Clinical and NGS molecular data were analyzed, and survival analysis used the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression models. Results The elderly group (≥ 65 years) had a significantly lower OS of 11.0 months compared to 18.0 months in the younger group (p = 0.001). The Stupp protocol, a known prognostic factor, was more frequent in the younger group (p = 0.023). Molecular analysis showed that MGMT methylation was more prevalent in elderly patients than in younger patients (p = 0.009). NGS genetic results showed that ATRX mutations were more common in younger patients than in elderly patients (p = 0.052, Fisher’s exact test) but this was not statistically significant. Trends toward higher MET and CDK6 amplification rates were observed in the elderly group compared to the younger group (p = 0.058, Fisher’s exact test), although these did not reach statistical significance. Multivariate analysis confirmed that advanced age (HR = 1.961, p = 0.002), MGMT methylation (HR = 0.513, p = 0.004), the Stupp protocol (HR = 0.376, p < 0.001), and GTR (HR = 0.519, p = 0.002) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion MGMT methylation was significantly more prevalent in elderly GBM patients and favorably influenced prognosis. No NGS-derived genetic alterations reached statistical significance between age groups after Fisher’s exact test and multiple testing correction. Larger multicenter studies are needed to validate these exploratory findings.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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Lee, C., Park, S., Yun, Y., et al. (2026). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis and age-based survival comparison among glioblastoma (GBM) patients: a two-center cohort study. Acta Neurochirurgica. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-026-06924-1