Department of Neurosurgery, Universitätsmedizin Charité Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Berlin School of Integrative Oncology (BSIO), Berlin, Germany.
J Neurooncol. 2018 Aug;139(1):177-184. doi: 10.1007/s11060-018-2858-9. Epub 2018 Apr 11.
Tumor treating fields (TTFields) significantly prolong both progression-free and overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). TTFields are delivered to the brain tumor via skin transducer arrays and should be applied for a minimum of 18 h per day (≥ 75% compliance). This may cause limited acceptance by patients because of obstacles in daily routine. So far, there are limited data on factors influencing therapy acceptance and compliance.
In this retrospective study, fourty-one patients with primary GBM or recurrent high grade glioma (rHGG) have been treated with TTFields in our department. Compliance reports were generated at the monthly routine check of the device. We investigated demographic data, stage of disease and therapy duration in regard to treatment compliance.
Thirty percent of patients with primary diagnosis of GBM were informed about TTFields. Acceptance rate among these patients was 36%. In this study, TTFields were prescribed in newly diagnosed GBM patients (57%) and in rHGG. Mean treatment compliance was 87% in the total population independent of age, sex and stage of disease. Compliance was not negatively correlated with time on treatment.
TTFields are effective in newly diagnosed GBM, therefore acceptance and compliance is important for GBM treatment. We experienced moderate acceptance rate for TTFields, which is influenced by factors such as social support, comorbidities and independence in daily life. Overall therapy compliance lies above 75% and is not influenced by age, sex, stage of disease or duration of therapy. Improved patient consultation strategies will increase acceptance and compliance for better outcome.
肿瘤电场治疗（TTFields）显著延长了新诊断的胶质母细胞瘤（GBM）患者的无进展生存期和总生存期。TTFields 通过皮肤换能器阵列传递到脑肿瘤，每天至少应用 18 小时（≥75%的依从性）。由于日常例行工作中的障碍，这可能会导致患者接受程度有限。到目前为止，关于影响治疗接受度和依从性的因素的数据有限。
在这项回顾性研究中，我们科室对 41 名原发性 GBM 或复发性高级别胶质瘤（rHGG）患者进行了 TTFields 治疗。每月常规检查设备时生成依从性报告。我们研究了人口统计学数据、疾病分期和治疗持续时间与治疗依从性的关系。
原发性 GBM 诊断的 30%的患者了解 TTFields。这些患者中接受率为 36%。在这项研究中，TTFields 被开给了新诊断的 GBM 患者（57%）和 rHGG 患者。在不考虑年龄、性别和疾病分期的情况下，总人群的平均治疗依从率为 87%。依从性与治疗时间无关，没有呈负相关。
TTFields 对新诊断的 GBM 有效，因此接受度和依从性对 GBM 治疗很重要。我们的经验表明，TTFields 的接受度适中，这受到社会支持、合并症和日常生活独立性等因素的影响。总体治疗依从性高于 75%，不受年龄、性别、疾病分期或治疗持续时间的影响。改进患者咨询策略将提高接受度和依从性，从而获得更好的结果。
