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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A shorter, 2-week radiation regimen for glioblastoma led to significantly worse survival than the standard 6-week course, a phase 3 trial found. Median overall survival was just 13 months with the accelerated schedule vs. 21 months with standard treatment. Radiation necrosis also occurred nearly five times more often in the shorter-treatment group.
Cutting radiation treatment time for glioblastoma may seem appealing — fewer clinic visits, lower costs — but a new phase 3 trial out of the Netherlands says the tradeoff isn't worth it. Researchers tested whether a compressed, 2-week ultrahypofractionated chemoradiation regimen (6 × 6 Gy) was noninferior to the standard 6-week course (30 × 2 Gy), both paired with temozolomide chemotherapy. The answer was a clear no.
The trial enrolled 135 adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma across eight Dutch radiotherapy centers. While mortality risk was similar in the first six months, patients in the shorter-treatment arm fared significantly worse afterward — and the complications were harder to manage.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: The study authors were unequivocal — the shorter regimen should not replace standard chemoradiation. For clinicians treating glioblastoma, these findings reinforce that the conventional 6-week schedule remains the standard of care.
