Publications by authors named "Jaf Koekkoek"
Background: Neurocognitive impairments are common in patients with a brain tumour, and may negatively impact on functioning in daily life, particularly on instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The EORTC IADL-BN32 questionnaire was developed to measure IADL in this patient population.
Methods: In this international validation study, we evaluated the EORTC IADL-BN32 questionnaire on several psychometric properties in a large sample of patients with a primary or metastatic brain tumour.
Patients with glioblastoma are among the cancer patients with the highest risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Long-term thromboprophylaxis is not generally prescribed because of the increased susceptibility of glioblastoma patients to intracranial hemorrhage. This review provides an overview of the current clinical standard for glioblastoma patients, as well as the molecular and genetic background which underlies the high incidence of VTE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose Of Review: To provide up-to-date evidence on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in neuro-oncology, with a focus on the core constructs of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the use of PROs in clinical trials and clinical practice.[Supplemental Digital Content: Video Abstract PROs in Neuro-Oncology.mov].
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfluence of arterial transit time delays on the differentiation between tumor progression and pseudoprogression in glioblastoma by arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging.
NMR Biomed
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- * This study examined 66 patients and found that delayed arterial transit times (ATTs) led to significant artifacts in ASL-MRI, impacting its ability to accurately assess tumor perfusion and differentiate between progression types.
- * Results indicated that ASL-MRI tended to show hyperperfusion in the presence of moderate ATT artifacts, while discrepancies in the prediction of tumor progression were noted when ATT artifacts were severe, suggesting a need for improved imaging techniques in these patients.
This narrative review provides an overview of the current knowledge on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), a relevant clinical outcome in patients with epilepsy. It shows that the most important factor determining HRQOL in this patient group is seizure frequency. In particular, seizure-freedom is associated with better HRQOL scores.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Glioblastoma patients have a high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), and researchers aim to understand the genetic and signaling factors that contribute to this risk.
- Using RNA sequencing, researchers compared gene expression profiles of glioblastoma patients with VTE to those without and identified 1246 differentially expressed genes, including GLI1, which is linked to the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway.
- The findings suggest that the Sonic Hedgehog pathway may play a significant role in the risk of VTE among glioblastoma patients, particularly those with certain tumor subtypes.
Background: Distinguishing true tumor progression (TP) from treatment-induced abnormalities (eg, pseudo-progression (PP) after radiotherapy) on conventional MRI scans remains challenging in patients with a glioblastoma. We aimed to establish brain MRI phenotypes of glioblastomas early after treatment by combined analysis of structural and perfusion tumor characteristics and assessed the relation with recurrence rate and overall survival time.
Methods: Structural and perfusion MR images of 67 patients at 3 months post-radiotherapy were visually scored by a neuroradiologist.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examined the recurrence of seizures in glioma patients after withdrawing antiseizure medication (ASM), comparing those with short-term, medium-term, and long-term seizure freedom post-antitumour treatment.
- - Out of 109 patients, 47% with short-term seizure freedom, 31% with medium-term, and 44% with long-term experienced recurrent seizures, indicating no significant difference in risk across these groups.
- - Overall, the findings suggest that the risk of seizure recurrence remains relatively similar for patients regardless of how long they have been seizure-free after their cancer treatment.
Tumor-related epilepsy (TRE) is a frequent and major consequence of brain tumors. Management of TRE is required throughout the course of disease and a deep understanding of diagnosis and treatment is key to improving quality of life. Gross total resection is favored from both an oncologic and epilepsy perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPreoperative clinical MRI protocols for gliomas, brain tumors with dismal outcomes due to their infiltrative properties, still rely on conventional structural MRI, which does not deliver information on tumor genotype and is limited in the delineation of diffuse gliomas. The GliMR COST action wants to raise awareness about the state of the art of advanced MRI techniques in gliomas and their possible clinical translation. This review describes current methods, limits, and applications of advanced MRI for the preoperative assessment of glioma, summarizing the level of clinical validation of different techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPreoperative clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols for gliomas, brain tumors with dismal outcomes due to their infiltrative properties, still rely on conventional structural MRI, which does not deliver information on tumor genotype and is limited in the delineation of diffuse gliomas. The GliMR COST action wants to raise awareness about the state of the art of advanced MRI techniques in gliomas and their possible clinical translation or lack thereof. This review describes current methods, limits, and applications of advanced MRI for the preoperative assessment of glioma, summarizing the level of clinical validation of different techniques.
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- A study evaluated the effectiveness of a triple therapy of levetiracetam, valproic acid, and clobazam (LEV + VPA + CLB) for patients with glioma and refractory epilepsy to see how it compares to other ASM triple therapies.
- The research involved analyzing data from 90 patients who had persistent seizures after trying other treatments, finding no significant difference in treatment failure rates between LEV + VPA + CLB and other combinations after 12 months.
- The results suggest that the LEV + VPA + CLB combination is as effective as other triple therapy options for managing seizures in glioma patients, although further studies are needed for confirmation.
Background And Objectives: Patients with glioblastoma have a high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the role of underlying genetic risk factors remains largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to discover whether genetic aberrations in glioblastoma associate with VTE risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The feasibility of implementing an advance care planning (ACP) program in daily clinical practice for glioblastoma patients is unknown. We aimed to evaluate a previously developed disease-specific ACP program, including the optimal timing of initiation and the impact of the program on several patient-, proxy-, and care-related outcomes.
Methods: The content and design of the ACP program were evaluated, and outcomes including health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety and depression, and satisfaction with care were measured every 3 months over 15 months.
Article Synopsis
- - The study compared how effective the antiseizure medication levetiracetam (LEV) is versus enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications (EIASMs) in patients with glioma, a type of brain tumor.
- - Out of 808 brain tumor patients, those treated with EIASMs experienced a higher risk of treatment failure for any reason and significantly more adverse effects compared to those on LEV.
- - The findings support current guidelines suggesting that glioma patients should prefer LEV over EIASMs for better overall treatment outcomes.
Study protocol of the GLOW study: maximising treatment options for recurrent glioblastoma patients by whole genome sequencing-based diagnostics-a prospective multicenter cohort study.
BMC Med Genomics
November 2022
Article Synopsis
- Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly brain tumor with no effective standard treatment upon recurrence, prompting a need for improved strategies to manage this challenging condition.
- The GLOW study aims to include whole genome sequencing (WGS) in the standard care for GBM patients, providing tailored treatment options based on genetic insights, in collaboration with various Dutch medical centers.
- The study will analyze outcomes based on the percentage of patients receiving targeted therapies informed by WGS, their overall survival, and other success rates, aiming to enhance treatment protocols for those facing this aggressive cancer.
Article Synopsis
- This systematic review updates insights on palliative care for adults with malignant brain tumors, based on literature published from 2016 to 2021, following the EANO 2017 guidelines.
- It focused on key areas such as symptom management, caregiver needs, early palliative care, and end-of-life care, incorporating findings from 140 articles.
- New findings indicate improvements in neurocognitive outcomes with specific treatment strategies, advocate for early palliative care to better manage symptoms, and highlight the need for further research on pain and fatigue management.
Article Synopsis
- About 30% of glioma patients require additional antiseizure medication due to uncontrolled seizures, prompting a study to evaluate the effectiveness of combining levetiracetam (LEV) and valproic acid (VPA) against other combinations.
- The study followed 1,435 patients, identifying 355 who moved to dual therapy after failing monotherapy, with most receiving LEV + VPA (66%).
- Results indicated that patients on LEV + VPA had a significantly lower risk of treatment failure due to uncontrolled seizures compared to those on other combinations, with similar adverse effects reported across both groups.
Article Synopsis
- IDH1/2 wildtype (IDHwt) gliomas classified as lower-grade (WHO grade 2 and 3) with certain genetic mutations exhibit similar survival rates to IDHwt glioblastoma, leading to both being categorized as glioblastoma IDHwt by WHO 2021.
- A study analyzed epilepsy in these two groups, focusing on the number of patients developing epilepsy, the timing of onset, and the treatment approaches used for managing seizures.
- Results indicated that while the overall incidence of epilepsy is comparable, IDHwt hLGG patients experience earlier onset and longer diagnosis delays compared to IDHwt glioblastoma patients, suggesting differing clinical pathways for these glioma subtypes.