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Article

Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma

  • Authors:
    • Kohei Suzuki
    • Koichiro Sato
    • Shohei Nagasaka
    • Ryo Miyaoka
    • Takeshi Saito
    • Yoshiteru Nakano
    • Nayuta Higa
    • Toshiaki Akahane
    • Akihide Tanimoto
    • Ryosuke Hanaya
    • Junkoh Yamamoto
  • View Affiliations / Copyright

    Affiliations: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 807‑8555, Japan, Department of Neurosurgery, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Kagoshima 890‑8520, Japan, Department of Pathology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Kagoshima 890‑8544, Japan
  • Article Number: 12
    |
    Published online on: October 29, 2025
       https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2025.15365
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Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary malignant tumor of the adult central nervous system with poor survival outcomes despite multimodal standard treatment. Tumor‑treating fields (TTFields) therapy prolongs survival in patients with newly diagnosed GBM; however, sustained adherence is essential to achieve therapeutic benefits. The risk factors for early discontinuation of TTFields remain poorly understood, as patients with treatment durations of <2‑3 months have been typically excluded from previous analyses. In the present single‑center retrospective study, the clinical and molecular factors associated with early discontinuation of TTFields were investigated in 16 consecutive adult patients with supratentorial GBM treated between September 2019 and February 2025. Early discontinuation was defined as the cessation of treatment within 90 days without resumption. Clinical variables, activities of daily living, neurocognitive assessments and molecular profiles were evaluated. Early discontinuation occurred in five patients (31.3%). Comparative analysis revealed that hemiparesis at treatment initiation (P=0.018), attentional impairment (P=0.036), lower baseline Karnofsky performance status (P=0.005) and Barthel Index (P=0.013) were significantly more frequent in the early discontinuation group than in the continuation group. Furthermore, overall survival was significantly shorter in the early discontinuation group (hazard ratio 8.857, 95% confidence interval 1.56‑50.29, P=0.004), and progression‑free survival showed a non‑significant trend toward a shorter duration. No significant differences were found in the other neurocognitive test scores or molecular alterations. These findings indicated that specific neurological deficits and functional impairments may hinder treatment persistence. Therefore, early identification of at‑risk patients and implementation of supportive strategies, including enhanced caregiver involvement and welfare support, may improve adherence and optimize the clinical benefits of TTFields in GBM.
View Figures

Figure 1

Kaplan-Meier curves comparing OS
between early TTFields discontinuation and continuation groups.
Kaplan-Meier survival curves comparing OS between patients who
discontinued TTFields therapy early (early discontinuation group)
and those who continued treatment (continuation group). The early
discontinuation group included patients who discontinued TTFields
within 90 days of initiation, whereas the continuation group
included those who used TTFields beyond this period. Statistical
differences between groups were assessed using the log-rank test.
(A) The P-value for OS was P=0.004, (B) while that for PFS was
P=0.073. Early discont., early discontinuation group; Continuation,
continuation group; OS, overall survival; TTFields, tumor-treating
fields.
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Copy and paste a formatted citation
Spandidos Publications style
Suzuki K, Sato K, Nagasaka S, Miyaoka R, Saito T, Nakano Y, Higa N, Akahane T, Tanimoto A, Hanaya R, Hanaya R, et al: Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma. Oncol Lett 31: 12, 2026.
APA
Suzuki, K., Sato, K., Nagasaka, S., Miyaoka, R., Saito, T., Nakano, Y. ... Yamamoto, J. (2026). Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma. Oncology Letters, 31, 12. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2025.15365
MLA
Suzuki, K., Sato, K., Nagasaka, S., Miyaoka, R., Saito, T., Nakano, Y., Higa, N., Akahane, T., Tanimoto, A., Hanaya, R., Yamamoto, J."Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma". Oncology Letters 31.1 (2026): 12.
Chicago
Suzuki, K., Sato, K., Nagasaka, S., Miyaoka, R., Saito, T., Nakano, Y., Higa, N., Akahane, T., Tanimoto, A., Hanaya, R., Yamamoto, J."Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma". Oncology Letters 31, no. 1 (2026): 12. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2025.15365
Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Suzuki K, Sato K, Nagasaka S, Miyaoka R, Saito T, Nakano Y, Higa N, Akahane T, Tanimoto A, Hanaya R, Hanaya R, et al: Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma. Oncol Lett 31: 12, 2026.
APA
Suzuki, K., Sato, K., Nagasaka, S., Miyaoka, R., Saito, T., Nakano, Y. ... Yamamoto, J. (2026). Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma. Oncology Letters, 31, 12. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2025.15365
MLA
Suzuki, K., Sato, K., Nagasaka, S., Miyaoka, R., Saito, T., Nakano, Y., Higa, N., Akahane, T., Tanimoto, A., Hanaya, R., Yamamoto, J."Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma". Oncology Letters 31.1 (2026): 12.
Chicago
Suzuki, K., Sato, K., Nagasaka, S., Miyaoka, R., Saito, T., Nakano, Y., Higa, N., Akahane, T., Tanimoto, A., Hanaya, R., Yamamoto, J."Single‑center retrospective study of factors associated with early discontinuation of tumor‑treating fields therapy in glioblastoma". Oncology Letters 31, no. 1 (2026): 12. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2025.15365
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