Glioblastoma and Internal Carotid Artery Calcium Score: A Possible Novel Prognostic Partnership?

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Clinical evidence suggests an association between comorbidities and outcome in patients with glioblastoma (GBM). We hypothesised that the internal carotid artery (ICA) calcium score could represent a promising prognostic biomarker in a competing risk analysis in patients diagnosed with GBM. Methods: We validated the use of the ICA calcium score as a surrogate marker of the coronary calcium score in 32 patients with lung cancer. Subsequently, we assessed the impact of the ICA calcium score on overall survival in GBM patients treated with radio-chemotherapy. Results: We analysed 50 GBM patients. At the univariate analysis, methyl-guanine-methyltransferase gene (MGMT) promoter methylation (p = 0.048), gross total tumour resection (p = 0.017), and calcium score (p = 0.011) were significant prognostic predictors in patients with GBM. These three variables also maintained statistical significance in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: the ICA calcium score could be a promising prognostic biomarker in GBM patients.