Case studyThe use of isoflurane and desflurane as inhalational agents for glioblastoma surgery. A survival analysis

•Survival after GBM surgery is similar after anesthesia with desflurane or isoflurane.•The addition of propofol to volatile anesthesia is not associated with longer survival.•Age and body mass index used were independent prognostic factors of survival.

BackgroundSeveral studies have examined the impact of anesthetics on cancer recurrence. Isoflurane but not desflurane has protumoral effects. We hypothesize the use of isoflurane but not desflurane during surgery for primary GBM is an independent predictor of disease progression and mortality.Methods378 adult patients were included in the study. The progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates at 1 and 5 years were compared in patients who had either desflurane or isoflurane alone or in combination with propofol infusion. Multivariate analyses were conducted to test the association between preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative hyperglycemia with PFS and OS.ResultsKaplan-Meier curves demonstrated similar survival in patients who had either desflurane or isoflurane. The use of a propofol infusion during surgery did not affect survival. Univariate analysis demonstrated that age, body mass index and the adjusted Charlson comorbidity score were associated with reduced survival. The multivariate analysis confirmed that age and BMI but not the type volatile anesthetic use were independent prognostic factors for PFS (HR, 95%CI: 1.07, 0.85-1.37, 9 = 0.531) and OS (HR, 95%CI: 1.13, 0.86-1.48, p = 0.531).ConclusionThe use of isoflurane or desflurane during GBM surgery is not associated with reduced PFS or OS.