On Dec. 16, 2024, the Mayo Clinic announced the results of an innovative treatment approach that may offer improvement in overall survival in older patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma while maintaining quality of life.

Glioblastoma is the most lethal type of primary brain cancer due to its aggressive nature and its treatment-resistant characteristics. It is the most common form of primary brain cancer. Each year an estimated 14,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with the disease.

Sujay Vora, M.D., radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic, led a team of researchers investigating the use of short-course hypofractionated proton beam therapy incorporating advanced imaging techniques in patients over the age of 65 with newly diagnosed World Health Organization (WHO) grade 4, malignant glioblastoma.

Mayo investigators mapped the target area in the patient’s brain by combining the advanced imaging technologies, including ¹⁸F-DOPA PET and contrast-enhanced MRI. Treatment was completed in one to two weeks instead of the traditional three to six weeks.

The study showed that 56% of participants were alive after 12 months and the median overall survival was 13.1 months. The study included patients from Arizona and Minnesota. The results of Mayo Clinic’s phase 2, single-arm study were published in The Lancet Oncology.