The cure fraction of glioblastoma multiforme.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study presents a statistical model to explore the presence of a population-based cure fraction in populations with a GBM. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data for this study was obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) database. Relative survival measures were modelled using non-mixture cure fraction models. RESULTS The extraction and subsequent period modeling of the dataset resulted in a final total of 11,189 patients and a total of 10,289 years of patient follow-up (between 2001 and 2006). The cure fraction of young adults is expected to be 12% (95% CI 7-16), which is estimated to occur at a minimum time of 10 years post diagnosis. INTERPRETATION The data, using population-based cure fraction models, indicate that a possibility for cure appears to be present in the young adult population, and occurs at 10 years after diagnosis. Because of the biological and statistical features of this patient population, it is appropriate to study GBM populations using cure fraction models.