Identification of Novel Molecular and Clinical Biomarkers of Survival in Glioblastoma Multiforme Patients: A Study Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas Data

TL;DR

This study identifies new genetic and treatment-related factors that may predict survival in glioblastoma patients using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas.

Contribution

The study introduces PRKCB methylation as a novel survival biomarker and suggests that treatment sequence affects outcomes in GBM patients.

Findings

Four pathways were found to negatively impact survival, while two had a positive effect.

PRKCB methylation status emerged as a potential novel biomarker for patient survival.

Chemotherapy prior to radiotherapy was associated with improved survival outcomes.

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent type of brain tumour; although advancements in treatment have been made, the median survival time for GBM patients has persisted at 15 months. This study is aimed at investigating the genetic alterations and clinical features of GBM patients to find predictors of survival. GBM patients' methylation and gene expression data along with clinical information from TCGA were retrieved. The most overrepresented pathways were identified independently for each omics dataset. From the genes found in at least 30% of these pathways, one gene that was identified in both sets was further examined using the Kaplan-Meier method for survival analysis. Additionally, three groups of patients who started radio and chemotherapy at different times were identified, and the influence of these variations in treatment modality on patient survival was evaluated. Four pathways that seemed to negatively impact survival and two with the opposite effect were identified. The methylation status of PRKCB was highlighted as a potential novel biomarker for patient survival. The study also found that treatment with chemotherapy prior to radiotherapy can have a significant impact on patient survival, which could lead to improvements in clinical management and therapeutic approaches for GBM patients.

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