Recurrence patterns and clinical outcomes in adult cerebellar glioblastoma

Background Cerebellar glioblastoma in adults is a rare brain tumor with poor outcomes. This study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics, genetic features, and prognosis of a series of cerebellar glioblastomas, with special attention to their recurrence patterns. Methods We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent treatment between 2008 and 2023. The patient characteristics, treatment methods, genetic features, and prognoses were assessed. Results Among 274 cases of histological glioblastomas, eleven patients with cerebellar glioblastomas were identified. Pathological results revealed microvascular proliferation and/or necrosis in all cases. All patients underwent surgery and local radiotherapy combined with temozolomide chemotherapy. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 15.3 months and 22.8 months, respectively. Of the eight patients who experienced recurrence, seven had distant or disseminated recurrence, and only one experienced local recurrence. None of the tumors harbored mutations in the IDH1/2 , H3F3A , or TERT promoters. Conclusions This study implies that cerebellar glioblastoma demonstrates the clinical characteristic of a high incidence of distant or disseminated recurrence. The genetic features indicate a low incidence of common mutations in glioma, such as IDH , H3F3A , and TERT promoter regions.