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Bellu et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2021;7:29 Journal of Cancer
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2021.89
Metastasis and Treatment

Original Article Open Access

Gliomatosis cerebri: a monocentric real-life
experience

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Luisa Bellu , Mario Caccese , Giulia Cerretti , Franco Berti , Fabio Busato , Alessandro Parisi , Marta
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Padovan , Vittorina Zagonel , Giuseppe Lombardi 2
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Radiotherapy Unit - Imaging and Medical Physics Department, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV - IRCCS, Padova 6435128,
Italy.
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Department of Oncology, Oncology 1, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV - IRCCS, Padova 6435128, Italy.
Correspondence to: Dr. Luisa Bellu, Radiotherapy Unit - Imaging and Medical Physics Department, Veneto Institute of Oncology
- IOV - IRCCS, Via Gattamelata, Padova 6435128, Italy. E-mail: luisa.bellu@iov.veneto.it
How to cite this article: Bellu L, Caccese M, Cerretti G, Berti F, Busato F, Parisi A, Padovan M, Zagonel V, Lombardi G.
Gliomatosis cerebri: a monocentric real-life experience. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2021;7:29.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-4722.2021.89
Received: 2 Apr 2021 First Decision: 10 May 2021 Revised: 10 May 2021 Accepted: 19 May 2021 Published: 30 May 2021
Academic Editors: Lucio Miele, Yaoqi Alan Wang Copy Editor: Xi-Jun Chen Production Editor: Xi-Jun Chen

Abstract
Aim: Gliomatosis cerebri (GC) is defined as a rare pattern of growth of diffuse gliomas involving three or more
cerebral lobes. Given its rarity, it is difficult to define prognostic factors and standard of treatment. We
retrospectively analyzed patients (PT) with GC from a single institution with the aim of identifying the main
prognostic factors and to assess optimal management.
Methods: Medical records were reviewed of patients ≥ 18 years with a histological and/or radiological diagnosis of
GC (with no contrast enhancement) occurring between 2006 and 2017. Median progression free survival (PFS)
and overall survival (OS) were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: We analyzed 33 PT, 22 males and 11 females; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance
status (PS) was 0-1 in 21 of the patients. Twenty-two PT underwent biopsy: 16 were astrocytomas and 6
oligodendrogliomas. O6-methylguanin-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) was detected in 14 cases, and it was
methylated in eight cases. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) was analyzed in 16 PT, and it had mutated in 10 of
them. Nine PT (27%) were treated with radiation therapy (RT) plus concurrent temozolomide (TMZ), 22 PT
(67%) received TMZ alone, and 2 PT (6%) underwent RT alone. We reported “complete response” in 1 patient
(3%), partial response in 9 PT (27%), and stable disease in 15 PT (45%), while 8 PT (25%) had a progressive

© The Author(s) 2021. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as
long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and
indicate if changes were made.

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