Journal of Clinical Medicine (Dec 2022)

Towards an Established Intraoperative Oncological Favorable Tool: Results of Fluorescein-Guided Resection from a Monocentric, Prospective Series of 93 Primary Glioblastoma Patients

  • Jacopo Falco,
  • Emanuele Rubiu,
  • Morgan Broggi,
  • Mariangela Farinotti,
  • Ignazio G. Vetrano,
  • Marco Schiariti,
  • Elena Anghileri,
  • Marica Eoli,
  • Bianca Pollo,
  • Marco Moscatelli,
  • Francesco Restelli,
  • Elio Mazzapicchi,
  • Emanuele La Corte,
  • Giulio Bonomo,
  • Marco Gemma,
  • Giovanni Broggi,
  • Paolo Ferroli,
  • Francesco Acerbi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12010178
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
p. 178

Abstract

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It is commonly reported that maximizing surgical resection of contrast-enhancing regions in patients with glioblastoma improves overall survival. Efforts to achieve an improved rate of resection have included several tools: among those, the recent widespread of fluorophores. Sodium fluorescein is an unspecific, vascular dye which tends to accumulate in areas with an altered blood–brain barrier. In this retrospective analysis of patients prospectively enrolled in the FLUOCERTUM study, we aimed to assess the role of fluorescein-guided surgery on surgical radicality, survival, and morbidity. A retrospective review based on 93 consecutively and prospectively enrolled IDH wild-type glioblastoma patients (2016–2022) was performed; fluorescence characteristics, rate of resection, clinical outcome, and survival were analyzed. No side effect related to fluorescein occurred; all of the tumors presented a strong yellow-green enhancement and fluorescein was judged fundamental in distinguishing tumors from viable tissue in all cases. Gross total resection was achieved in 77 cases out of 93 patients (82.8%). After a mean follow-up time of 17.4 months (3–78 months), the median progression-free survival was 12 months, with a PFS-6 and PFS-12 of 94.2% and 50%, respectively, whereas median overall survival was estimated to be 16 months; survival at 6, 12, and 24 months was 91.8%, 72.3%, and 30.1%, respectively. Based on these results, we can assert that the fluorescein-guided technique is a safe and valuable method for patients harboring a newly diagnosed, untreated glioblastoma.

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